


Bloodmoon: The next Tatell

by dont_hate_me01



Category: NCIS, NCIS AU - Fandom
Genre: Blood Drinking, F/F, Femslash, Language, M/M, Male Slash, Mpreg, Multi, Torture, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-07-27 17:22:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 16
Words: 122,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7627249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dont_hate_me01/pseuds/dont_hate_me01
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'It is written that the rivers will run red with the blood of the innocent, making man run with fear. From the North two lines will appear; the first – seventh time worthy and hailed by the King. The other pure; untainted and unfamiliar to what danger lurks, but still worthy to rule and the two will meet when the moon is at its bloodiest and they will fight for light....'</p>
<p>Detective Tony Dinozzo had no idea of what went bump in the night. To him, monsters were those humans who killed without reason, who deserved to be put behind bars. He had no idea that his junior partner, Timothy McGee, or his best friend, Abigail Sciuto, was part of the so called ‘walking dead’. Vampires were alive and kicking and he was about to find himself, not only to be the future mate of the next vampire king – Leroy Jethro Gibbs, but also in a race to save himself, the human race and his bondmate’s race from extinction. Between the European Vampires who wanted to annihilate the US Vampires and the Slayers who thought that humans should be on the top of the food chain, life for all, hung in the balance. They had one of two options – survive or be killed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Myztic Art (MyzticMyanMoon)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyzticMyanMoon/gifts), [AmyH0127](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmyH0127/gifts), [jesco0307](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesco0307/gifts).



> To **AmyH0127** and **jesco0307** , ladies, without you this fic would’ve been an idea in my head and nothing more! As my betas, cheerleaders and friends you were there for me each step of the way. I can only say thank you so many times, and I will remain forever grateful!
> 
> To **MyzticMyanMoon** , who made all the wonderful pieces of art that decorates this story, thank you.
> 
> Lastly, to the mods of the **Extreme Big Bang** over on LJ, thank you for hosting this challenge.

[ ](http://s792.photobucket.com/user/Dont_hate_me01/media/Banner_zpsqf0zrmkt.png.html)

**Prologue**

**Europe: 15th Century**

“It’s with a heavy heart, but one still filled with hope that I close this journal. It is now no longer in my hands, nor in the hands of the council. Now, only time will tell.” The almost three hundred year old vampire closed the leather bound journal filled with paper and placed the quill he used to the side. He went on to tidy the small table he used as a writing desk before blowing out the single candle he used for light. He didn’t need it as his eyes were in perfect condition, but neighbors tend to frown if you moved about your home without the aid of some light.

Gustav smiled as he thought about his neighbors. They were terrified of things that went _bump_ in the night. They had no idea that the monsters they feared lived amongst them, and not only for the past decade or two, but for as long as humans roamed the earth. He felt sorry for them; they only lived a small number of years before life, as they knew it ended. But, on the other hand, he was jealous as well. Many of his human friends had passed on; some he could no longer remember yet others were still fresh in his memory. Sometimes he wanted to tell them what he was; what was out there, but it was against the law. It was because of the laws that they were in the position they found themselves in currently. He looked at the journal again. “It’s our only hope.”

He couldn’t help but to think about what had happened in the past. There were times in his life that he cursed his long lifespan, just wishing he could’ve forgotten about everything, but sometimes; just sometimes he had to remember. Even if it weren’t for his own good, at least it would be for the good for the future.

_“Gustav, you need to run. Take the baby and run, son. Don’t look back. It doesn’t matter what you hear, run and don’t look back. You know where to take him, do not falter in your duty, lad. We’re all counting on you. Run, Gustav and be safe.” The woman pulled the young boy to her chest and hugged him hard. She held him for a mere second before pulling away. She turned and lifted the baby boy out of his cradle and handed him over to his new temporary guardian with the greatest of care._

_The young boy nodded solemnly. “Yes, Tatell-mate, I understand. I will do so; I will protect him with my life.” He kissed the small boy in his arms on the top of his head. He pulled the bundle closer to his chest as their mother made sure the sling was securely around his waist, before she wrapped his cloak around them. He could hear screams and cursing in the passages, but didn’t focus on them. He waited as his mother opened the secret passage for them and when the opening grew large, he slipped through. He wanted to look back, but the door already closed behind him so he moved forward, silently and with ease, the baby used to him and not making a sound._

_The narrow passage went steadily down, growing more damp and narrow. Gustav knew the walkway like the back of his own hand. From the time he was able to form his own memories, he walked here. He knew his duty as first born, the seriousness of the situation and that it rested on his shoulders, but even more importantly, it rested on the shoulders of his youngest sibling; the boy, yet to be named, but already marked as the one whose linage would shape the world._

_A bloodthirsty scream sounded from behind them, and Gustav tripped over his feet. The bundle in his arms jerked awake. The words of his mother; their Tatell-mate rang in his ears and Gustav didn’t look back. Instead, he increased his speed, as he lightly moved down the darkened way, the need for light unnecessary. The way out was just a few feet away - he had to make it. Already his sensitive hearing could pick up footsteps running towards them. He was unsure how many there would be. Gustav slowed his pace as he neared the secret exit. With sure movements, he found the latch and swung the door open without a sound. He climbed through, found the outside latch, pulled it down to close the door behind him and then continued to break the latch off, ensuring that the secret passage could no longer be opened from either side. Gustav looked around, spotted where he needed to go and set off again._

_The baby against his chest had settled down again as Gustav made his way over to the docks. It teamed with life even though it was still a few hours shy of the sun coming out. Gustav used his small size to get in through the crowd without being seen. He stayed closed to a couple as they made their way forward towards the large vessel that looked ready to sail. He couldn’t help but to swallow hard; he loved the boy in his arms. He hated the fact that he would never get the opportunity to play with him, to see him walk or to show he what it was to have an older brother. However, he knew his duty, he knew what he had to do and the fact that he wanted to be an older brother meant nothing; the baby’s life came first._

_Gustav moved between the people until his eye settled on a young woman who stood close to a man and he could sense their grief. As a vampire child, his empathy ability was well attuned and he knew without a doubt that they’d lost a child. They would be perfect. Seeing their attention stray from the various pieces of luggage they had, he quickly placed his baby brother into what looked like some sort of sewing basket and kissed him again. “I don’t think we’ll ever meet again, but you and your kin will be the answers to our future. May you be blessed, brother of mine.” Gustav quickly stepped away and took to a hiding spot not far off to make sure his brother would be all right before he disappeared again._

_From his hiding place he looked on as the young couple returned to their luggage and the woman picked up the basket. A frown appeared on her face and Gustav held his breath. She opened the basket and he could hear her gasp. Her husband looked up and she indicated to the basket. Both peeked inside again and then looked around. He could hear them whisper, but didn’t want to listen to what they had to say; instead he prayed that they would take the gift that was given to them. Gustav smiled as the woman relaxed and the man smiled. He made a right choice; his brother would be safe - for now in any case. Gustav didn’t linger any longer, turned around and disappeared quickly. He didn’t look back to the docks and he didn’t look at the castle he once called home. Now, until the day he was needed again he would be just another street child. He had no choice - it had to be done. It was still his duty. His small hand reached into his pocket as he took out the leather bound pages in which he had a duty to write. The first entry he knew would be the hardest and he already didn’t look forward to it, but he also knew that by the time the sun disappeared again he would’ve filled the first page. Hopefully, he would fill plenty more._

Gustav was pulled out of his memories and cocked his head, hearing a sound at his door. It was time. Without fear, he stood straight, drew the knife from his sleeve and waited for the danger to enter. It was the end. The fight was quick, but bloodied and the shadow left just as quickly as it came. Gustav’s body grew cold, and the leather journal meant for the good was lost to the evil.

_‘It is written in stone that the rivers will run red with the blood of the innocent, making man run with fear. And from the North two lines will appear; the first – seventh time worthy and hailed by the King. The other pure; untainted and unfamiliar to what danger lurks, but still worthy to rule and the two will meet side by side and when the moon is at its bloodiest they will fight for light. Without their union there will be no light. Without light there will be no peace and darkness will descend over the land and evil will prevail…’_


	2. Chapter 1

[ ](http://s792.photobucket.com/user/Dont_hate_me01/media/Ziva_zpsy99jkl5m.png.html)

**Chapter 1**

**Washington DC: 2015 – undisclosed location (Slayer HQ)**

_‘I have quickly settled into the life of a street child, although in the beginning it was hard. Not only did I struggle to find something to eat, but there were Slayers everywhere. I was sure they were looking for my brother and me. They would not find us. Just thinking about the Slayers makes me shudder in fear. Before the night I had to flee, I always thought that the Slayers were just those things Sire and Sire-mates used to scare their children; more specifically children like me – vampire children. They are supposedly humans; unable to hurt another. As a vampire, you only believe that humans are incapable of hurting another until you have seen your first Slayer in action and then they call us, vampires, monsters. Now, I have seen them in action for myself. It did not matter if you were young or old, they did not discriminate against anyone. If they believed you were a vampire, or as they preferred to call us – "spawn born of the night” – they killed you. First, they tortured you, but in the end, they killed you. To them humanity meant nothing.’_

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Trent Kort looked up from the file he was reading when someone knocked at the door. “Enter,” he closed the file and waited. A smile appeared on his face as the tall dark headed woman approached his desk. “Ziva David, finally we meet.” He got to his feet, reached out, and shook hands with the newest assassin in his organization.

“Director Kort.” Ziva smiled as she took in the appearance of her new employer. As a former Mossad agent, she knew not take anyone at face value, even if he/she looked a bit on the unfit side of life. She was aware of Kort’s reputation, and it wasn’t a reputation gained by sitting on one’s ass doing nothing. He also wouldn’t have been appointed as the Director of the Slayer organization if he weren’t the right man for the job. The Slayers existed as long as man itself did.

Ziva knew all about vampires. They had come into her home when she was a mere child and took her baby sister, Tali away from them. Tali’s body was never found, instead, years later Ziva came across her sister and separated her head from her shoulders when she realized what she’d become. Tali was the first vampire she killed, but definitely not the last. Her mother died a slow death not being able to process the fact that her baby was taken from their home. Ziva never told her what she’d done.

“I assume your apartment is to your satisfaction?” Kort asked pleasantly as he took his seat again and indicated to Ziva that she may sit down as well. Even before she could answer, he pulled a file and slid it over to her.

“It is thank you.” Ziva cocked her head. “Surely you didn’t call me to your office to talk about my apartment.” She never did well with small talk.

Kort smirked in a nasty way. “Good, then we can get down to business.” He nodded toward the file in front of her. “What do you know about the _son of the seventh son_?”

A smile appeared on Ziva’s face. “Are you saying we know who it is?”

Kort shook his head. “Not yet. And you’ve not answered my question, Miss David.”

“Apologies, Director Kort.” Ziva lowered her head, but her voice held no hint of sincerity. “We know that the son of the seventh son would be the one to bring the evil spawn together forever. It’s our task to stop it. To annihilate them all.”

Kort decided not to call her out on the fact that she wasn’t sorry. They had better things to do than to worry over things like apologies. He tapped the file. “Correct. As you are well aware, our organization has been around for many years. It’s our responsibility to rid the world of the evil filth that walk around with us, that breath the same air as us, but are not fit to be called human. We’ve been making inroads into their numbers, but we will only finally get rid of them if we kill the one who is supposed to be their next _Tatell_.”

“Do we know who it is?” Ziva asked again.

Kort sighed. “No, our intelligence office is working on it.” He didn’t add that they had no idea where to start. The journal in their possession was very vague, almost of no help, but it was all that they had. “You need to concentrate on this.” He pushed the file into her hands that rested on the tabletop. “We finally got a list of their so-called council. Find them, find out what they know, and get rid of them. I don’t need to tell you that speed is of an essence here. The sooner we find their new leader and kill him the better.”

Ziva opened the file and quickly scanned the list of names. There were 20 names in total. For the first time as far as she knew, they had a complete list of the vampire council. She arched a brow at some of the names – there were some prominent names on there. Some, she would have never suspected of being blood sucking monsters. She closed the file and didn’t question any of the names. If their intelligence office indicated that those men and women were vampires, and even more important that they were on the council then it was like that and it just became her responsibility to capture, torture and kill them. Life couldn’t get any better.

“Don’t disappoint us, Ms. David.” Trent Kort leaned back in his chair. “You’re dismissed.”

Ziva smiled. “I’m good at my job, Director.” She rose to her feet. “I’ll keep you up to date.”

“See that you do, Ms. David, see that you do.” Kort took up a pen and started writing; he already had other things on his mind.

Ziva took the file and made it through the long corridors to her own office. She opened the door and stepped into the bare space. There was one desk and chair in the room. She didn’t need more than that. She placed the file on the desk, opened it and started to read. She read the file from cover to cover before she stood up, reached into her jean pocket and pulled out a sharpie. She looked around the room and shrugged. “Never liked white walls in any case.” She started writing on the walls, drawing up possible plans in abducting the 20 council members. Ziva pushed herself. By the end of her first day, the walls to her office were no longer white; instead, they were a blood red. Her plans were mapped out, now it was time to get into the practical aspect of things.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Ziva looked up as her first target exited the building and couldn’t help but to shake her head. Vampires always thought that they were better than others were. Just like now – no security for protection. And she was a so-called member of the council. For a moment Ziva closed her eyes and recalled the information she had on the woman.

Nancy Patterson, age two hundred and fifty-four, although she didn’t look it, she was single and a neurosurgeon. She sat on different boards, was an active member of her community and contributed to various charity organizations. On paper, she looked perfect. Then you’d have to look past the fact that she was a blood-sucking vampire, who fed on human beings, who killed children so that she could live. Ziva sneered, placed a pair of expensive sunglasses on her nose even though it was almost dark outside and exited her car. With confidence, she strolled towards her target. She was in luck that there were not many people on the streets.

“Ma’am, excuse me?” Ziva plastered a smile on her face as she stepped closer to the woman. “I’m so sorry to bother you, but I’m lost. Could you perhaps help me, please?” She held out the large unfolded map and tried to pull it together to show the woman a specific place. “I need to go to the McCarthy Children’s home. It’s supposed to be here on Broad Street, but I’ve been up and down this road for the past half an hour and I can’t seem to find it. Our community collected some clothes for the children and now I can’t find the place to drop it off. I’m such a failure.” Ziva dropped her shoulders and even managed a sniffle.

Nancy Patterson shook her head. “Darling, you’re not a failure. You’re doing such a good thing for those unfortunate children.” The older woman patted her hand. “The McCarthy home is on Broad Avenue, not in Broad Street and it’s on the other side of town. You won’t find it on this side.” She explained with a smile.

A look of total surprise appeared on Ziva’s face and she managed to blush. “Thank you.” She swallowed hard and indicated to the map again. “Can you show me where Broad Avenue is on the map, please?”

“No problem,” Nancy took a step closer and took the map from Ziva’s hand. She frowned as something sharp pierced her skin. “What?” She looked confused and took a step back as she saw the look on Ziva’s face. Her own face transformed as her fangs descended and she hissed in warning. Unfortunately, she already started to feel dizzy and even as she tried to step away from the woman next to her, her legs folded beneath her and she would’ve fallen down if it weren’t for the strong grip on her arm that kept her up right.

With a sneer on her face, Ziva pushed the woman into her car. She didn’t even attempt to secure her cargo in any way; the drug would keep the vampire out of it for the next few hours. It would give Ziva ample time to get to her next destination before she could start the fun part of this job – torturing vampires.

_‘Hawthorn and Wormwood’_ Nancy shivered at the thought. It was the only known poison that could render a vampire unconscious within mere minutes and with a large enough doses it killed. The fact that she couldn’t even lift her hand up to her face made her believe that whatever this _human_ wanted with her, didn’t involve being killed. Unfortunately, she had no idea why she was taken.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**2 Hours later**

Another bone-chilling scream filled the air and then it quieted down. The few birds and small creatures around ventured out again not very perturbed about the noise. Ziva sighed as she stepped away and wiped her hands on the not so clean rag. She loved this part, but she hated the blood underneath her nails. It was always so hard to get it all out. Ziva circled her _guest_. “I was always under the impression that vampires were stoic, standing firm against pain.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe it was all just some big talk, while in the real life – you all scream like girls.” She picked up her favorite torturing tool and opened the valve. The white flame leaped from the tubing and Ziva smiled. “When I was small, I loved sitting around the fire, listening to my father tell us stories. To me fire means life.” She snorted. “To you it means so much pain and then death – perfect, don’t you think so?” She didn’t wait for a reply, or even expected one as she pressed the flaming torch against the vampire’s skin. It was fascinating to look at. At first, it was as if nothing happened, but then the skin changed color, first turning pink, then red, becoming darker with each passing second. Unlike with humans, it took a while before you could smell the flesh of a vampire burning. It didn’t smell like a normal person going up in flames. It smelled differently, not disgusting at all; something that Ziva always wondered about. With the first hint of burned wood in the air, her _guest_ would start to scream. She would scream and scream until she had nothing left in her to scream; only then would Ziva stop.

Nancy’s head hung low between her shoulders. Her body was covered with sweat, the droplets running in rivulets down the valley between her voluptuous breasts. Her breathing was labored, and she shivered as the pain kept on racing through her like waves coming in with the tide. She might’ve looked good for a woman aged fifty-four, some would say she looked as young as forty, but for the first time in all of her existence did she felt her real age. The whimper that escaped her lips as the woman who tortured her was involuntarily. She no longer had the ability to snarl, instead she wanted to climb into her own skin and curl up into the smallest ball possible to get away from it all. Nancy knew there would be no respite for her; she would be tortured until her heart finally stopped – of that, she was certain. What she was unsure about was just how long this mad woman was planning on torturing her or the reasoning behind her behavior.

Ziva paced the room. It was time to turn things up a notch or two. She placed the blowtorch to the side and picked up an old ceremonial carving knife. It was made out of silver and blessed by the Pope himself eons ago. It was one of the finest blades out there used in torturing vampires. It had been in the _Slayers_ possession for almost three thousand years and now she had the honor to use it. She slipped the blade out of its sleeve and let her finger run over the smooth surface. “I love what I do for a living, especially since I’m now an official Slayer’s agent.” She circled the woman hanging from a high beam. “For me it’s always a challenge to see how far the body of an animal like you can go before it finally gives in and dies. Just that last moment before the light leaves the eyes are perfect. I’ve tried to capture it on camera, but it’s just not the same. I’ve taken hundreds of stills and now I’m attempting to capture it with a sketch. I’m so close, but yet it remains just out of my grasp.” Ziva shoulders relaxed. “You as a vampire, as a monster do not deserve the right to live, but even I have to admit – your kind’s death is always fascinating to watch. I hope to have the perfect image before my work is done.” She made another circle before she came to a halt in front of the neurosurgeon. “I’ve got one question for you to answer, if I’m satisfied that you’re indeed telling me the truth, your death will come quick, if not; well, I’ve got lots of time and even though your kind can take months to die, I will cause your demise.” She took the knife and placed it against the soft white skin between Nancy’s breasts. She grinned as it hissed and she pulled it away, the red triangle point clearly visible on the milky skin. “Interesting pattern, don’t you think?” Ziva pressed the blade against the skin again, and continued to do so until she created a picture of a small flower. “Pretty,” she grinned. “A bit dull, wouldn’t you say?” She took the knife and with a steady hand she pressed the tip into the skin, pushing it deeper and with practiced ease she cut out the shape the blade left behind. Within a few moments, the burnt picture was replaced with a bloodied one, each petal deep enough to require suturing.

She walked back to the large table that stood to the side and picked up a few items. “Let’s see if all those hours which my mother spent helping me with my embroidery was time well spent.” She lifted a small bag filled with tiny silver beads and held it in her hand. “My mom always made these for any new friends we might’ve met after Tali’s...” Ziva shook her head and then spoke up again. “It was a simple test. I just don’t have the patience to make you a lovely bracelet, and I know you’re a monster; I don’t need a bracelet to show that to me. So, I’ve got a better use for these.” She lifted one of the beads out of the bag and twirled in between her fingers. Ziva closed the distance between them and then pushed the small bead into the gaping wound. Nancy’s reaction was instantaneous.

The high-pitched screams disturbed the peace once again, but this time they went on longer, only dying down when Nancy’s voice finally failed. She kept on screaming, her voice a mere whisper. She trembled hard that even the chains that kept her in place rattled. “Please,” her mouth formed the word.

Ziva grinned. “No, not yet. I’m still busy.” She picked up the next small bead and pressed it into the next petal of the flower she carved out. She filled each hollowed out wound with a silver bead and then stepped back. “It looks good.” She smiled. “But it can fall out, and I don’t want that.” She turned away to the table behind her and picked up a needle with a thin thread. She showed the thread to Nancy. “Made of the bark of Hawthorn, very strong.” She snapped it between her hands to show that it wouldn’t break easily. Ziva used the silver knife again to pop the first bead out again and then shrugged. “I should’ve thought of doing it this way the first time around, but I didn’t.” She pulled the needle and thread through the bead and then pressed the needle into the side of the wound. With easy movements, she stitched the bead into the small hollow space and then stepped back. “Perfect.” She used the knife to pop the second bead out and started the whole process again. She didn’t stop until the whole flower was beaded up. Only then did she tie off her work and place the needle back on the table behind her.

Nancy was weeping uncontrollably. The valley between her breasts ached with fire, the beads now sewn to her flesh, throbbed continuously. She was reaching the end of her rope. Nancy knew she wouldn’t be able to keep quiet, not if her capturer asked the right questions. She closed her eyes and prayed to their gods. She would try to hold on as long as she could, but she now finally realized – there was no hope left for her.

Ziva dried her hands on the rag and tossed it to the side. She tucked her long hair behind her ear and stretched out hard. Ziva traced a droplet of sweat that run down the side of her victim’s face. “I never thought it was possible for vampires to sweat.” She rubbed her fingers together and smelled them. “Earthy.” She cocked her head. “You fit so perfectly into the _new world_. Really _green_ , aren’t you?” She snickered. Ziva placed her hand over Nancy’s breast and squeezed it hard. “Still pretty bouncy, even for someone your age.” She laughed at her own joke. “They would look wonderful pierced.” She flicked the little nub and smiled as it tightened up. “Yes, perfect.” Ziva shook her head. “But, not now. It’s time you gave me some answers. Remember, if you answer me truthfully I’ll make sure that your death comes quickly. Lie to me, and I will slowly kill you; so slowly.”

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Slayer headquarters: 48 hours later**

Trent Kort looked up as Ziva entered his office. He leaned back in his chair. “Well?”

“Stubborn fucking bitch.” Ziva grumbled. She pulled out a chair and sat down heavily. “She lasted longer than I expected her to.”

Kort cocked his head. “I’m not interested in hearing how long she lasted, David. I want to know what she knew.”

“Not much, unfortunately.” Ziva pulled a knife out of nowhere and proceeded to clean her nails with it. “September seems to be of importance.”

Kort bristled with anger. “We pay you to get answers, David, not to chat over months. It’s useless information unless you’ve got something else.”

Ziva stilled her actions with the knife. “I know how to do my job. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here.” She smiled. “She did mention a name.”

“And?” Kort asked impatiently.

“Gibbs.”

“Gibbs?” Kort frowned. “It’s not one of the council members.”

“He’s a vampire cop.” Ziva sneered.

“He’s in their Elite Corps?” Trent pulled himself towards his desk and started typing. “Just Gibbs?”

“That’s what the bat said - Gibbs.” Ziva sounded bored.

“What did you do with the body, or is she still breathing?”

At first Ziva refused to answer. The more time she spent with the man she had to report to, the less she liked him. “The body was disposed of.” Her tone clipped.

“Good.” Kort sounded distracted. “Report back when you’ve got more information.” He didn’t even look up from the screen.

Ziva huffed in annoyance, but got up and exited the office. She pulled a hair band from her pocket and tied her hair into a ponytail. The scowl on her face made the people she met in the corridors pass wide of her. She stormed into her office and slammed the door shut. The sound vibrated through the closed up space.

“It’s not good for a woman to lose her cool like that.”

Ziva spun around, her knife in the one hand and a pistol in the other. “What do you want?” She looked at the red headed woman that sat behind her desk as she holstered the weapon, but kept the knife in her hand.

“Is that the way to greet me, Ziva?” Jenny Shepard pushed the chair back and stepped around the desk. “You look agitated.”

“That man is infuriating! I know how to do my job.” Ziva growled and paced the room.

“I agree with you, but Trent has been in the business for many years. He tends to know what he does.” Jenny stepped into Ziva’s personal space and wrapped her arms around her. “The fact that you’re still here, tells me he’s satisfied with you. The fact that you’re still alive confirms that even more.”

“He will not be able to kill me.” Ziva stated it with confidence.

“Don’t underestimate Trent Kort, Ziva. He’s one of the best out there. And don’t get on his bad side. I would hate to hear of your death, even though there would be no body.” Jenny leaned in and kissed her lover hard.

Ziva wanted to respond, but the kiss distracted her. Soon both women moaned and caressed one another. She pushed Jenny back against the wall and lifted the other woman’s hands above her head, pinning her there. Ziva kissed her once again before she pulled away. “I missed you.” Her hands travelled to Jenny’s blouse and flicked open the buttons, revealing her lacy underwear. Her fingers brushed over the twin peaks that spilled gently over the full cups. “You smell like lavender.” She pushed her lover hard against the wall and lowered her head. Her tongue licked across Jenny’s breasts as she savored the sweetness of Jenny’s skin.

Jenny moaned and shivered. She loved Ziva’s mouth on her, the lower the better. She gasped, as it seemed like the younger woman read her mind and went on her knees. Jenny lowered her hands as Ziva pushed her skirt up. Between the two of them, they managed to move her skirt up above her hips. Jenny whimpered as Ziva’s fingers traced her mound through her already soaked panties. “Please,” her hips pushed outwards, chasing the fingers that brushed at her pussy.

“You smell so sweet,” Ziva nudged the secret passage with her nose before using her hands to pull the outer lips apart and then used the broadside of her tongue to lick her girlfriend from the bottom to the top. Her mouth closed around the small nub at the top and she suckled hard. Both women groaned in ecstasy at the movement.

“Ziva!” Jenny placed her hands on Ziva’s head and pressed downwards, not wanting the sucking motion to stop, but needing more. “Babe, please, please.” She couldn’t help but to beg and widened her stance, giving Ziva more access to the core of her existence.

Ziva’s fingers joined her mouth and tongue, as she continued to flick at Jenny’s clit while her two of her fingers pushed in and up, seeking out that special place that would made Jenny scream aloud. She could feel how wet Jenny was, her fingers coated with slick as she thrust inwards again. The angle made it difficult for her to thrust her tongue within the folded molds, but she kept on sucking and licking as her fingers worked themselves in deeper and faster. She could feel how Jenny’s internal muscles clamped around her, wanting to keep her fingers entrapped, squeezing them together in anticipation of her pending release.

Jenny’s squirted hard, her fluids coating her cunt and Ziva’s fingers as she kept on riding the crescendo of her orgasm. She was aware of the fact that she was pulling hard on Ziva’s hair, but it didn’t matter, she needed it so hard. The fact that Ziva continued the suckling motions on her clit made her scream hard. She couldn’t care who heard her, being one of the directors of the Slayers had its advantages. She whimpered as her orgasm finally tapered down, but Ziva continued licking her clit. The nub was doubled its size and throbbed with pleasure and it was becoming difficult to breathe. She sighed as Ziva finally let up on the torture and relaxed as her lover started to clean her pussy with gentle licks. Her legs felt like jelly and she knew that if it weren’t for the fact that Ziva was keeping her upright, she would’ve been sprawled out on the floor eons ago.

Ziva’s own cunt throbbed between her legs. She could feel how wet she was just by pressing her legs together. She would’ve fooled herself if she said she didn’t miss Jenny. They’d been apart for far too long. “Fuck me with your fingers, make me cum.” She didn’t beg, but pulled Jenny to her chest and then lowered both of them to the floor. Even as they rolled together, her trousers already unbuttoned and pushed down towards her knees. The space was a bit cramped but it didn’t matter, she just needed the release.

Jenny moved so that she was next to Ziva her hand already feeling the smooth silky molds of her lover’s body. She used her thumbnail and dragged it over Ziva’s clit, loving the way Ziva shuddered against her hand. “Let go for me, Ziva. Show me how much you need this.” She murmured the words against Ziva’s skin as she kissed her on the nape before moving downwards. She found Ziva’s breasts beneath her clothing and sucked hard at the peak, loving the way it hardened in her mouth. Her fingers skimmed the outside lips of Ziva’s pussy before she spread it wide and then dipped them in. “So soft, so wet and just for me. I don’t think any man ever before felt you so wet of want before. Only for me, babe.” She dipped her fingers in thrusting hard already. Ziva loved it rough and she didn’t hold back. Two fingers quickly became three, followed up by four as thrust forward. Both women groaned and moaned, Ziva shivering beneath her. They fought for control over the kiss they shared but finally Ziva gave in and Jenny curled her fingers nudging her from the inside. Ziva screamed once and then she became undone. Jenny kept on moving inside of her, letting Ziva ride her own release to completion. When Ziva’s body finally calmed down, Jenny removed her fingers and pressed it into Ziva’s mouth. “Clean me up, babe.” She looked on as Ziva took the fingers coated with her own release and sucked at them hard. They continued to stare at one another until Jenny finally removed her fingers and kissed Ziva hard. “I’ve got some work to do and I know you do to. I’ll see you later.” She helped her lover up, straightened her skirt and blouse before heading out the door; she didn’t look back once.

Ziva had to take a moment to compose herself before she straightened and dressed herself again. The annoyance she felt towards Trent Kort long forgotten and she found that she could focus again. The gentle throb between her legs reminded her of what just happened and it made her realize that there was a lot more where that came from. With a smile on her face, she picked her next target and readied herself for her next mission. It was time to work again – playing hard would come later.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Trent Kort finally looked up from the screen after the assassin left his office. He knew he was infuriating Ziva, but he loved getting under the woman’s skin. It kept her on her toes, and hopefully it made her just that bit more edgy, because that is what they needed if they wanted to rid the world of vampires once and all.

His computer pinged and he opened mail he received. “Interesting,” he murmured as he read the information. Already his mind started making new plans. He lifted the phone next to his hand. “Get me Jonas Cobb. Tell him to come in ASAP.” He placed the phone back on its cradle and leaned back in his chair. “Are you the one, Gibbs? Are you the so-called savior of your monstrous species?” He snorted. “You’ll never succeed. I will not let you.” Kort got up from behind his desk and walked over to the large bookshelf that stood to the side. It contained several volumes of works by different philosophers, biographies and autobiographies, but it also held an old leather-bound journal that few people knew existed. Even those who knew of the journal’s existence didn’t know that he had in it his possession personally. When he first found it so many years ago and when he was still eager to prove himself he handed it over to the slayers, as he climbed the ladder and now sitting in the top seat himself, the journal was back in his possession and he would make sure it stayed with him.

His fingers found the passage quickly, the writing nearly faded with age but still readable. Although it was in Latin, he read it as if it was in English, so familiar was he with the words. _‘And from the North two lines will appear; the first – seventh time worthy and hailed by the King. The other pure; untainted and unfamiliar to what danger lurks, but still worthy to rule and the two will meet side by side and when the moon is at its bloodiest they will fight for light.’_ “Are you the one they call seventh time worthy and why? What makes you so special? You’re a fucking blood sucker, nothing more than an animal.” It made him furious just to think about it. When Ziva told him that the month of September seemed to be of importance, he knew that already. That’s why they were looking for answers. The so-called _bloodmoon_ in September was a huge sign mentioned in this prophecy. And yes, he did believe it was a sign of things to come. One, which he knew they had to stop. It didn’t matter that the prophecy mentioned a fight for the light. A bloodsucker wrote it, it could only then be good for them – and therefore it was bad for him; for humankind.

Kort replaced the journal just as there was a knock on his door. “Enter,” he gave the command and went to sit behind his desk again.

“You called for me?” Jonas Cobb entered the office and took the seat across from Kort without having been invited to sit down.

“I’ve got work for you.” Kort turned the screen and indicated to the headshot that appeared on it. “Find out everything you can about this _thing_. I want to know each little detail about him, even how many times a day he takes a piss. Clear?”

Cobb got to his feet. “Crystal clear. Give me a few days to make sure I have everything and I’ll get back to you.”

“Do that.” Trent typed away on the keyboard. “I’ve send you everything we’ve got on him, which is not much.” He stopped typing and looked up. “Let me make it clear to you, Cobb. Do not get caught. Do not make waves; I want this done as quietly as possible. You report only to me and no one else. Get going.” He indicated to the door with his head.

Cobb knew a dismissal when he saw one. He nodded and exited the office. He took out his hand-held device and opened the mail Kort sent to him. He grinned as he saw the photo of the vampire again. It didn’t matter if he was a monster; the man was still extremely handsome. Something about that almost white hair and ice blue eyes made his cock stir with interest. At least he would have something to look at as he gathered the required information.


	3. Chapter 2

[ ](http://s792.photobucket.com/user/Dont_hate_me01/media/Tony_zpsk11jtx7c.png.html)

**Chapter 2**

_‘Being a child on the street had more than one hardship. I have already mentioned the Slayers, but they were not the only ones I, (we as children) had to be on the lookout for. There were those who would lure you with food and empty promises, only to stuff you into cages and sell you to the highest bidder. If you were lucky enough, hard labor awaited you for the foreseeable future. If you were unlucky, then you became something worse than a woman of the night. You became a child of the night. You had an adult who would sell you off by the hour, and it didn’t matter what happened to you, as long as you got returned alive all was well.’_

_‘But, there were some things even worse out there. Both were on the opposite of the spectrum, but as a child you still had to stay clear of them. The first were the ones who were supposed to protect us. Those law abiding men who took an oath to uphold the laws of the city. They would accuse you of crimes you did not commit, they would take from you what they wanted and they would sentence you to their own brand of justice all in the name of the law. As a child, you learned quickly not to trust them – to stay clear of them. Unfortunately, there was a danger much closer to home as well. You called them kin; you had the same blood, you wanted and needed the same thing – but you could not count on them. They loved hunting us children down. For them we were easy prey and entertainment for hours. They would keep us for months; drain our blood from our bodies for one purpose and one purpose only – for the fun of things; that was all.’_

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

“What do we have?” Detective Tony DiNozzo asked as he lifted the bright yellow police tape to enter the cordoned off crime scene.

Timothy McGee looked up from where he was hunkered next to the body. “Another strange one, Tony, and also tortured by look of it.” He looked back at the dead body.

Tony groaned. “What the hell? Are you saying this one was drained as well?” He shivered slightly as he kneeled down. With a gloved hand, he turned the victim’s head and sighed as he got a look at the perfect set of marks right over the artery. He took a quick look at the different injuries that decorated the young man’s body. Even though there was no blood in the body, he could still see the difference between undamaged skin and damaged skin. He also didn’t need to be an ME to know that by the paleness of the deceased skin that they wouldn’t find a drop of blood in the victim. “Make sure we get close ups of those puncture wounds and the damaged done to his body, Tim.” He got to his feet. “ID?”

“No ID on the body and no hits in AFIS. By the condition of his clothes, I would say he lived on the streets. It might take us a while to ID him.”

Tony nodded his head. “Any witnesses?” He didn’t expect a positive answer, but he still had to ask.

Timothy shook his head. “Not a good part of town, Tony. No one saw a thing.”

“Typical.” He peeled the gloves from his hands and stuffed them into his jacket pocket. He saw a young man standing to the side, away from the other onlookers. “Control the scene, McGee.” Tony didn’t elaborate, but strolled across to the other side of the road and casually made his way over to where the young man stood. Tony reached for his badge and then cursed as the man suddenly turned and started to run. “McGee!” Tony yelled, not bothering to look back as he gave chase. His partner had been with him long enough to know what to do. Instead, he concentrated on keeping the man (now possible suspect) in sight.

McGee’s head snapped up as he heard his partner’s voice. Even as he turned, he already started to run. He concentrated on the sounds around him, eliminating the background noises, and only concentrated on the two fast beating heartbeats in front of him. Tony’s heartbeat was easy to pick up; already mapped out in his brain. He knew the rhythm when Tony was relaxed, when Tony was furious, when Tony was flirting and especially when Tony was running full speed after a suspect. Timothy used Tony’s heartbeat as a baseline for his own speed. He would run faster if Tony’s heart rate increased. Soon after he turned the corner, he could see Tony chasing their suspect. Tim knew the area fairly well, so he took a shortcut. He just had to keep his steady pace; he didn’t want to be too fast.

Tim turned up his hearing as he came to a halt around the corner. He could hear both the suspect’s and Tony’s labored breathing. He timed it well and as the man came running and turned the corner McGee used the man’s own velocity to push them backwards. He landed hard on the man, but turned him over with little effort. He just slapped the cuffs on him when Tony reached them.

“Nicely done, McSpeedy.” Tony took a few deep breaths and straightened up. He pulled the man up by his collar; he was a mere teen. His clothes were unclean and didn’t fit him well. Tony had a feeling they were dealing with a street child. “Care to share with us why you ran?”

The boy looked at Tony and then at Tim. “Because you chased me.”

Tony snorted. “Nice try, how old are you?” He rolled his eyes as the teen remained silent. “Book him, McGee.”

“What for? I didn’t do nothing wrong.” The boy tried to resist.

“We’ll think of something. We’ve got a few hours before we need to report back at the station.” Tony shrugged his shoulders and started to walk back from the way they came.

“What about obstruction of justice?” McGee piped up as he took the teen by the arm.

“I didn’t obstruct no justice. I didn’t even see when Julian got killed.”

Tony turned with a smile. “Julian, you say. A friend of yours?”

The teen realized he said too much and clamped up.

“You living on the streets?” Tony held up his hand. “Wait; don’t answer that - stupid question. You are living on the streets.”

“No I’m not.”

Tony snorted and placed a hand on the teen’s chest, halting him and McGee. “Yes, you are.”

“Am not.” The teen answered surly.

“I’m so not going to play that game with you. You are living on the streets.” Tony kneeled down and lifted the boy’s foot up. “These shoes have seen better days; this one is bare thread and nothing more.” He lifted the boy’s shirt. “A belt is used to keep pants up, not a piece of rope. I also know its fashion to wear baggy jeans, but this pair is about three sizes too big for you which leads me to the conclusion that you either stole them from somewhere or you got them at a shelter.” Tony poked his finger through one of the many holes in the t-shirt the boy had on and then scratched at a dry mark near the collar. “This shirt is so thin you can see through it, and it’s more than washed out. If you were living in the suburbs you also would be using other drugs, instead of sniffing glue.” He shook his head. “In short, no teenager would be caught dead wearing what you’re wearing, which brings me back to my original statement. You live on the streets. So, are you going to tell me how you knew Julian or are we going to have to do this the hard way?”

“I ain’t saying anything to you.” The kid sneered.

“Apparently we’re doing it the hard way.” Tony turned to McGee. “Make sure he’s secure in one of the patrol vehicles and then get Child Services on the line. See if you can find him in the system. Take the necessary swabs. If we can link him to the murder, the quicker the better.” Tony ignored the young man completely as he addressed Timothy.

“You can’t do that.” He sounded scared.

Tony grinned. “Yes, I can. I’m not supposed to do it, but I can and unless you start cooperating I will do it.”

The teen’s shoulders sagged. “No CPS. I’ll help.”

Tony nodded his head. “Take him in, McGee and make sure to get him something to eat. I’ll be there in a bit.” He didn’t look back but made his way over to where one of the patrol officers were in what looked like a heated argument with a man who had what looked to be a Marine haircut. “Anything I can help with?” He took out his badge and held it up for the man to see.

It was as if time slowed down when the man looked up. Tony was aware of the fact that the patrol officer was talking to him, but it was as if he was standing in a vacuum, he could hardly hear the man. He could feel something pass between them and the only thing he was aware of was the man across from him. White hair, a dark streak here and there and the vivid blue eyes. He was sure that with those eyes the man could see right through his soul. Tony had to shake himself mentally to concentrate.

Gibbs had to stop himself from sniffing the air as he arrived at the crime scene and got out of his vehicle. Some smell was distracting him. He had never smelled anything like it before. If someone should’ve asked him what he smelled, he would’ve been at a loss for words. He looked around, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. As he tried to step closer to the scene, a patrol officer stopped him. Gibbs was already grumpy having he missed his morning coffee, now this. Even as he tried to gain entry to the scene he grumbled which led him to this situation. A situation he never thought he’d possibly find himself in. He could feel his fangs descending as his senses filled with the pure undiluted scent of his mate, more importantly – his bondmate.

His head snapped up as he scented another of his kind and he looked around. Gibbs’ shoulders relaxed slightly when he spotted the younger vampire. Timothy McGee was only seventy-five years old, barely out of his fledgling years. He saw the exact moment that the young one realized he was there and he was acknowledged with a slight nod of the head. Gibbs was pulled back to the present when his newly found bondmate spoke up. For the first time in his long life of a two hundred and twenty-five years Gibbs was speechless. He had to do everything in his power not to take the leap forward and claim what was his.

Later on Gibbs would think back and he would have no recollection how he managed to interact with his mate and others at the scene without losing it totally. “Agent Gibbs,” he pulled out his ID and badge. “Heard you got a body, seemingly drained of all its blood?” He indicated with his head to where the ME was busy loading the body into the awaiting van.

Tony had to swallow hard before he could reply. There was some sort of chemistry going on between them; he wanted nothing more than to get to know this man, to stay close to him. “What does it have to do with you guys?” He finally managed to ask as his gaze met the man’s before him.

 _‘Green – emerald moss green’_ was the only thing Gibbs could think of the moment their eyes met. He heard himself speak and he could only hope that it was making sense. “We’re tracking a serial killer who’s been creating havoc all along the Eastern Seaboard.”

“You don’t waste much time, now do you?” Tony grinned but at the same time, he tried to remember if he had heard of a serial killer and bodies drained of blood. “How many bodies did you say?”

“I didn’t, but so far we’re looking at about seven. We’re still investigating a few others.” Gibbs had to stop himself from taking a too deep breath; not if he wanted to remain sane. He was aware that Timothy was walking their way and he mentally had to stop himself from snarling at the younger vampire warning him to stay away.

“Agent Gibbs,” McGee smiled. “I didn’t know you were here. The last I heard you were further up investigating a serial killer I believe?”

Tony looked at his junior partner and at the other man. “You two know each other?” He sounded surprised.

McGee nodded his head. “This is Gibbs, Tony.” He stated as if it explained everything. He rolled his eyes. “ _The_ Gibbs, Tony. Abby’s Gibbs.” He smiled as he saw Tony finally making the connection.

“Why didn’t you say so, McGee?” Tony smiled again. “I’m sorry I didn’t make the initial connection, Agent Gibbs. Abby talks a lot about you, but she normally refers to you as ‘GibbsGibbsGibbs’.” He smiled again as he thought about his best friend. He’d met the mad Goth scientist a few years back at a convention and they became instant friends.

Gibbs managed not to groan. He still had a chance of hide the fact that this human was his mate from McGee, but Abby – she would realize it the moment she saw them together. “So you’re Tony DiNozzo?” Luckily, he was good with remembering names. He smiled. “Yes, Abby’s mentioned you a few times as well.”

“Only good things I do hope.” Gibbs was Abby’s uncle; once he knew, he took his job as guardian over the young woman seriously. A few times he went to talk to some of Abby’s friends who did not seem legit only to find out that they already had _the talk_. Gibbs always made sure they knew where they stood with Abby. Yet, in all this time, they never got the chance to meet face to face.

A small smile appeared on the older man’s face. “I think you’d known by now if it wasn’t good.” Gibbs turned serious again. He had to get a look at the body, if all possible, he had to get Ducky to do the autopsy, but he also knew from what he heard from Abby was that this detective took his job seriously. And sharing this crime scene with him just because he knew Abby wasn’t going to be enough, let alone get him the autopsy that he needed.

McGee frowned. Something was going on between Tony and Gibbs. He could feel it in the air. If Abby were there, she would’ve said something was _hinky_ and he would have had to agree. Something was strange, but he had no idea what it was. “You here for our vic, Agent Gibbs?” He asked when the silence stretched for far too long.

Gibbs nodded his head. “It looks like it.”

Timothy looked at Tony and then at Gibbs. Once again, he wished Abby were there. “You want to have a quick look?” He lifted the tape for the older man to step through. He didn’t make eye contact with his senior partner, but knew if Gibbs was there it had to do with _their_ business – vampire business.

Tony was surprised at McGee’s conduct, but he didn’t let it show. “Where is our possible witness, McHelpful?”

“On his way to the precinct, Tony. I’ve made sure the patrol officer knew that he should place him in your office and keep him there until you arrived. I also made sure the kid would get something to eat.” McGee explained. Tony was troubled with his behavior, but he had no choice.

“Good,” Tony grinned. “Let me go and see what I can get out of the kid.” He turned to face the agent who was walking next to him. “Please don’t think you can try and take over my investigation. You will find I don’t play well with others when it comes to my cases.” He nodded his head and without waiting for a response, he walked away.

McGee frowned. “Tony?” He called out when he realized that his partner was about to leave him at a crime scene without transport. He looked between the two men.

Gibbs couldn’t help but to laugh. “Your partner got some bite there, McGee.” He shuddered at his own choice of words, but left it at that.

McGee sighed. “We came with one car.”

“It won’t take you long to get back to your precinct, McGee, or have you become lazy?” Gibbs kneeled next to the body and lifted the corner of the sheet to get a proper look.

“Nothing about being lazy. It’s about turning up at the office all sweaty and bothered. I’m having difficulty in getting that part down. You know as well as I do, we don’t build up a sweat so easily.” McGee bowed his head. “I didn’t intend to snap at you, Gibbs. This case is getting to me, to us. Tony’s a good detective – one of the best I’ve seen, but he’s not getting anywhere.”

Gibbs nodded in agreement. “The case is getting to everyone, McGee. Depending on what your witness says, I think we’ll have to work on this one together. It’s the sixth body here, I’m just lucky enough that you only know about three. I need to let Ducky have a look at the body and I can’t do it without your partner’s cooperation.”

“I’ll talk to him, Gibbs. However, I can’t promise anything. Sometimes I think he’s even more stubborn than you.” Timothy smiled. He worked for a few years at the same agency as Gibbs before he was placed in a similar position on the _human_ side of things. He knew just how grumpy Gibbs could become. The head slap came as no surprise and he smiled again. “It’s good seeing you again, Boss.”

Gibbs snorted. “Don’t think your partner will agree, Tim.”

“Tony is a good guy, Boss.” It felt good to call Gibbs ‘Boss’ again. “Especially for a human. Sometimes I feel he would make an excellent agent for the agency, but he doesn’t know about us.” McGee shook his head. It was hard not to tell Tony he worked for Gibbs before. They couldn’t do that, not with the age they gave him when he started working for the police. Timothy sighed. “He doesn’t even believe in us.”

“Abby’s coffin not proof enough for him?” Gibbs felt a twitch of jealously and he pushed it firmly down.

McGee frowned at Gibbs’ words. “They’re just friends, Gibbs. Best friends, even, but nothing more. Not that Abby didn’t try, but from Tony’s side pure friendship, which is strange when it comes to him, he likes flirting with anyone on two legs, it doesn’t matter what gender.”

Gibbs didn’t know what to make of that piece of information. On the one hand, it meant that he stood a chance, but on the other – if Tony flirted around, what was the possibility that he would remain faithful? He shook his head. He had a feeling Tony would be faithful to the last breath. Gibbs mentally slapped his own head. He couldn’t think about it now. “Call me.” He got up and turned around. “I’ll speak to Director Morrow, you work on your partner, we need to find this SOB and we need to do it quickly.”

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Tony leaned against the window and looked out at the sleeping city beneath him. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He was tired to the bone, but yet again his dreams wouldn’t leave him alone and where he could’ve done with a solid few hours of sleep he got in a lousy hour and a half. Now, he was dressed in comfortable sweats and t-shirt and looking out at the view beneath him. He loved this apartment. It was on the twelfth floor and the living room had a solid glass window pane from top to bottom. The fact that it overlooked the river made the view even more special. He caught the reflection of the baby grand behind him and said a silent thank you up for all the money he saved over the years to make his apartment sound proof. It meant that no one could hear him play away on the piano at odd hours of the night, but more importantly, they couldn’t hear the screams that woke him up about five to six nights out of seven. He took another sip of the honey tea to sooth his throat. It was all that worked, he couldn’t afford to arrive at work with a sore throat and sounding like a frog.

Tony took his place behind the piano and sighed as the tension in his shoulders seeped away. He closed his eyes and as his fingers moved over the keys, he smiled. Sometimes only his subconscious knew what he needed. The notes filled the room as he first played Für Elise, before gliding into Mendelssohn’s The Venetian Gondola. From there he played some more Mozart and as the sun finally peaked out and tinted the earth red, he ended it with Schubert’s Impromptu in G Flat major D 899 no 3. When the last note died away his alarm sounded in the bedroom and he closed the top with care before grabbing his running shoes and headed out of the door. It was time to face the day and a different kind of music.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs moved into the shadows as he saw the young detective heading out of his apartment building. By the look of things, he was going for a run and within minutes, Gibbs lost sight of him. He leaned against the wall behind him and contemplated what he read the night before. He didn’t intend to stalk the guy, but he just had to know more. He ended up using the Agency’s intel department to get information on the detective and what he read made him grind his teeth. The file handed over to him was quite comprehensive, but it left him with more questions than answers.

Gibbs shook his head. He didn’t want to go into that, not now. Now he had to concentrate on the case. He had to talk to Ducky. He had to tell him he found his life-mate. He looked out in the direction in which the detective disappeared before walking across the street and getting into his car. He still couldn’t erase what he saw from his mind. He knew the detective didn’t see him, but with his excellent eyesight and even though the apartment was twelve stories up, he saw the younger man leaning against the full glass wall and staring into the darkness. When he finally moved away, Gibbs thought he went to bed, but then he heard it – music. It was fainter than it was supposed to be, and he knew that no human ears would’ve picked it up. Gibbs couldn’t help but to wonder why the detective’s apartment was sound proofed; it just didn’t make sense to do something like that.

Gibbs sighed when his phone buzzed in his pocket. “Gibbs,” he answered curtly.

 _“Another body turned up, Gibbs.”_ Director Tom Morrow’s voice sounded over the phone. Something in his voice made Gibbs’ gut turn.

“Who’s body is it, Tom?”

 _“Nancy Patterson”_ , Tom’s voice was full of grief.

Gibbs could hear himself growl with anger. He knew Nancy for as long as he could remember. As an older fledgling she was one who was responsible for the younger vampires (those in their teenage years) – Gibbs included. At one stage, he even had a crush on her; he knew a few teenage vampire boys that did. He had no words when he heard about her death, but he would make sure of one thing. Whoever was responsible for her death would die. He would personally make sure of that. “Where’s her body?” he finally managed to ask. He listened as his oldest friend gave him the location. Gibbs checked his rearview mirror, made a quick U-turn and headed back the way he came. He reached for his phone and dialed a number he still had on speed dial. “McGee?” He took a deep breath as the younger vampire answered. He didn’t give him time to respond. “There’s another body and it’s in your district. It’s Nancy, McGee. I’ll meet you there.” Gibbs ended the call even as McGee’s hitched breath came over the speaker. He couldn’t lose it now. Tonight; tonight there would be a gathering and he would get a chance to mourn. They would all get a chance to mourn.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Tony groaned as his phone wailed just as he was about to step into his shower. “DiNozzo,” he answered as he reached for his toothbrush. He just had a feeling that there would be no time to shower, not now in any case. He listened and leaned his head against the mirror as the information was relayed to him. “Phone Detective McGee; tell him meet me at the scene.” He ended the call, brushed his teeth, used a washcloth to wipe himself down from the sweat he’d built up after his run before pulling on clothes and headed to the latest scene.

Tony already had a look at the body (or what was left of it) when his junior partner finally showed up. He lifted an eyebrow but didn’t say a word. McGee was normally on time, so there was no reason to chew him out for not being on time. “Not a good looking one, McGee.” Tony spoke as he got to his feet. He looked around the area. There would be no witnesses, except the poor fisherman who had the nasty surprise of hooking the body out of the waters as he fished on the pier.

McGee nodded his head. He had to keep himself from rushing over and pulling the sheet from the body. He knew the victim; she was like a grandmother to him. Hell, she was old enough to be his great-great-great grandmother. He knew he should tell Tony he knew her, but how? He looked around and found himself thinking that he didn’t want to deal with this. Not in the law sense of things. He wanted revenge; he wanted to kill the one who did this. McGee knew he wasn’t the only one who would want revenge, he had a feeling he’d be a long way down that line of people wanting to kill the bastard themselves.

Tony frowned when McGee didn’t respond to his statement verbally; usually Tim had something to say. Even if it was to say the person died too young, or something in the line of that. By the look on the younger man’s face, he was deep within his thoughts. “McDreamy, are you listening?” He jabbed his fist against his partner’s arm to get him to focus on him.

Timothy shook his head. “Sorry, Tony. Just have a lot on my mind.” He had to keep his composure. “Any ID on the body?” He asked and cleared his throat.

“You all right, McGee?” Tony asked again. When Timothy only nodded his head, he left it at that. His partner would talk to him later. McGee never could keep things that bothered him quiet for too long. He always talked. Tony focused on Timothy’s question. “No ID yet. It’s going to take a while from what I’ve seen. We’ll let the ME deal with it.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Timothy offered up. It was something he helped with often, his computer skills were of great assistance in cases where they needed to find identification.

Tony nodded his head and then frowned. “What the hell?” He moved away from the body as he saw the now familiar figure of Agent Gibbs walking their way. “A bit lost are you, Agent Gibbs?”

“Speak to your Captain, Detective.” Gibbs knew he sounded gruff, but he was pissed and upset and by the look on young McGee’s face, the younger vampire was barely holding it together. He didn’t want to get into a pissing contest with his _future_ mate, but he wouldn’t back down, not from this.

“The last time I checked, Agent, my Captain had no say in who I let in _my_ crime scene. So back the hell off.” He reached out to stop the older man with his hand, but found McGee between him and Gibbs. “McGee?” Tony asked surprised.

“The Captain left a message on my phone, Tony. Apparently he couldn’t get hold of you. He said we should cooperate with Agent Gibbs, it would be a joint investigation.” Tim took out his phone to show Tony that their Captain had indeed phoned. He swallowed hard. He could feel Gibbs’ stare burning into his skull and Tony’s own gaze was burning holes into him with each passing second.

Tony slowly lifted his phone out of his pocket and frowned when he noted it was switched off. He couldn’t even remember switching it off, but he pushed it back and looked at the man still standing at Tim’s shoulder. “I will not let you waltz in and fuck up my case. You want to investigate something; you clear it with me. You make sure you follow each step in the chain of command; I will not let you, or anyone else mess up this case and let whoever is responsible for this carnage get away. Is that understood, Agent Gibbs?” Tony had moved passed Tim and was now standing toe to toe with the older man. He tried not to breathe, the man’s scent made him hard as a diamond. However, he would not let his dick get in the way, if there was something between them, he would explore it later, if Gibbs was available.

Gibbs smiled. His future mate just showed that he wasn’t a push over and Gibbs knew he was going to enjoy the chase that would ensue between him in the detective; it was going to be a pleasure in finally taking this man as his own. “I’ve got no problem in letting you take lead in this case, Detective DiNozzo. You would, however agree, that I have better connections and better sources to use which would be of assistance in this investigation.”

Tony wasn’t a fool. He knew that what Gibbs said was the truth. He would be a fool not to use the extra resources to their disposal. He also had no idea why he was so hard on the other man. Yesterday he had no problem, but today, today was different. _‘Maybe it’s because I didn’t sleep well.’_ Tony thought to himself.

Gibbs cocked his head. “May I have a look at the body, please?” He didn’t want to see Nancy’s body, but he had to. With a small movement of his head he made sure that Tim understood that he didn’t need to look. He walked alongside the detective as they made their way back to the body. He kneeled next to it and pulled the sheet away. Gibbs sighed deeply. “Not the same marks to the neck, but some severe wounds covering the body. Definitely tortured, more so than the first victims. Lividity suggests that this victim was not drained of her blood.” He turned and caught Tim’s eye, but addressed Tony. This was something crucial to their investigation. “You know of Doctor Mallard - he’s the best ME in the city. Let him look at the body, he can relay all of his findings directly to you. We need to find this son of a bitch.”

Tony nodded his head. “We’re dealing with two different perps here, Agent Gibbs. We’re going to need all the help we can get.” He got to his feet. “I’m needed back at the office. I’ll release the body into your care. Please have Doctor Mallard contact me as soon as he’s got something.” He turned to McGee. “Finish up here, McGee. I’ll meet you back at the precinct.” He didn’t wait for a response but just headed back to his car.

Gibbs spoke up before McGee had the chance. “He’s right.” Gibbs was impressed. He had only reached the same conclusion himself before the detective spoke up and shared his thoughts with them. He could also see that something was bothering the detective and for a moment, he wished he could reach out and hug the man tight. But he could not, not yet, in any case. He looked on as Tony moved away from them. “Keep an eye on your partner, Timothy. Keep him safe.” If he couldn’t do it, then he knew McGee would.

McGee nodded in agreement. Tony was acting weird and Gibbs was also acting weird, but he still had a job to do; one he did well. He leaned in and for the sake of doing his job he placed Nancy’s finger against the palm held scanner to start with the identification. He couldn’t help but to wonder how long it would take before the next body was discovered. Something inside of him told him that it would become much worse, before it would become better.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**16 Hours later: Memorial service**

“We need revenge.” A timid looking vampire hissed as they all mingled, remembering Nancy.

“And with revenge you’d be a murderer as well. Then someone else would want revenge. Good idea, hopefully we’ll all be slaughtered by the end of the year and the one soul remaining behind can crown himself King.” Abby’s voice sounded through the vast room as she clutched her parasol in her hand not to lift it and hit the incompetent man over the head.

Ducky spoke up when he saw that more than one of those gathered around wanted to speak up. “Abigail is quite right, Ferguson. Revenge would bring us nowhere; surely, we have learned that from our past?” He straightened his bowtie and continued to speak. “Justice will be done, our Elite unit is on the case, give them time to do their job. It is what they are good at, after all.” He looked around the room. “They have _my_ support and I do speak for the rest of the Council as well – we all support them in this investigation.” Ducky took Abby’s arm and led her over to where Tim was chatting with a few of the younger vampires. “Behave, Abigail.” He looked over at Tim. “The Council will be meeting in a few minutes; you are invited to attend as well, Timothy.” He bowed his head and moved away.

Timothy could only nod his head in agreement before Abby poked him in the side. “What do you have to do with the council, Timmy? What did you do?”

Tim shrugged his shoulders. “It must be over the investigation, Abby.”

Abby frowned. “Are the police involved in the investigation?” She’d been attending court for the past week and had the minimal contact with any of the Coven, or for that matter with McGee or with Gibbs himself. She only learned about the deaths when she was informed about Nancy’s death.

Tim swallowed hard. When he and Abby spoke quickly last night, he’d forgotten to tell her about what had happened, but with the day he had today, who could blame him. “We caught our third victim, Abby. And it was Nancy,” he added quickly. “You know how Tony gets over the victims, and you know how Gibbs gets and trust me, you don’t want to be in the middle when those two meet.” He shook his head. “At least they’re both still alive, but I have to say, Abby, Gibbs is acting weird. Not once, and I kid you not, not once did he growl or even threaten to growl at Tony. I’ve never seen him in such a laidback mood than today. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still himself - glaring and growling and head slapping the rest of us.” The hand that connected to the back of his head made the point he was trying to illustrate. Tim turned around. “Boss.”

“Let’s go, Tim. You can chat with Abby later.” Gibbs leaned in and hugged his sister’s child hard. “Behave, Abby.” He warned as he walked off.

“You see.” Tim shook his head. “I’ll meet up with you later, Abby.” He hugged his friend hard as well. Snagging a bag of blood, he headed to the side door that would lead to the large boardroom where the Council held all of its meetings. He had no idea if they’d accept what he had to say.

Abby looked at Gibbs then at Tim and then back at Gibbs. “Something is going on.” She smiled. She liked solving puzzles and any puzzle involving Gibbs was worth solving. With both Ducky and Gibbs’ words in her head, she headed to the outside. It was a lovely night and she would walk home. She knew she could use the time to ponder what was going on with Gibbs.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Doctor Mallard looked at the group of people gathered in the large boardroom. “Let us get started, please.” He indicated for everyone to take a seat. His eyes fell on Nancy’s empty seat and he sighed. “This content of this meeting will stay within these walls.” He didn’t need to look at any of the other vampires present to know that they would heed the warning. “I’ve asked Jethro and Timothy to join us here tonight to get us up to speed on what is going on with the investigation.”

“Why are the human police involved?” One of the council members spoke up.

“Because it’s not only vampires that are getting killed.” Timothy spoke up and he was surprised to find how strong his voice was. He was by far the youngest vampire in the room and he swallowed hard. He saw the nod Ducky gave him and he rose to his feet. “The Council is aware of the killer that Agent Gibbs is tracking, but there seems to be a second killer involved. Although the first killings seemed to have only concentrated on us, we’ve now come to realize that humans have also become a target. More so than what we initially thought.” He looked at Gibbs and at Ducky. He didn’t have time to discuss what he found with them, but he knew once he stated the facts they would agree with the assumptions he made.

“This afternoon I went back and I mapped out each vampire murder investigated by Agent Gibbs the past six months. We were all in _ad idem_ , that the same killer killed them all, I no longer think so. These same thoughts are also shared by my _human_ partner, Detective DiNozzo.” Timothy took a deep breath. “The first vampire killings are all disorganized and sloppy. Almost as if whoever killed them were playing with them, might even be bored. Lots of damage was done to the bodies, but in a disorganized way.” Timothy only looked at Gibbs. He didn’t want to know what the other members of the council thought of his theory.

“Go on,” Ducky prompted.

Timothy nodded his thanks. “I then went back and found with each vampire killing - a second human killing. Time of death differed between two to three hours. It was never picked up by any of the investigation teams because every human killing occurred in a different county. Just far enough not to raise suspicion. But, if you look at those human bodies, it is clear that they suffered the same torture as our victims. They were also played with, their bodies discarded as if they were mere pieces of garbage. But there was one small difference, where our bodies were drained of their blood _post mortem_ , the human bodies were drained of their blood _perimortem_. With Doctor Mallard’s help I think we’ll be able to find the puncture wound on the bodies, disguised as another type of wound where they were drained.” Timothy dared to look up at the council. “Our murderer is one of our own, he or she is a Vampire.” He managed to continue to talk over the voices that all rose up as one to speak up. “I am however almost certain that Nancy was not killed by the same killer. A human being, for what reason I don’t know, killed her. Her blood was also not drained, giving us another clear distinction between this killer and the other killers.” He finally sat down again.

“You sure?” Gibbs didn’t bother raising his voice. He was well aware that each member of the council could hear him perfectly.

“I am.” McGee’s voice sounded confident.

Gibbs nodded his head. “Good, then we’ll go through all of the evidence again.” Something in his voice made the council members to calm down. He stood up and it ended the meeting. He didn’t see the look that passed between Doctor Mallard and Director Morrow.

As the members filed out, Gibbs spoke up again. “Duck, may I have a word with you in private, please.”

Ducky nodded his head and both vampires moved to the side. “What is it I can help you with, Jethro?”

Gibbs opened his mouth to reply but then shut it again and sighed in frustration. He was glad that Ducky remained silent and gave him the opportunity to gather his thoughts. Finally, he had the courage to speak up. “I found my mate, Ducky. My bondmate.”

It was Ducky’s turn to be at a loss for words. He looked at his friend and mentee and smiled. “It’s about time.” He slapped Gibbs on the shoulder.

“It’s not that easy, Ducky.” Gibbs bowed his head. “He’s a human.” He looked up. “It’s Detective DiNozzo.”

“Oh dear.” Ducky pushed his glasses back up his nose. “Oh dear.” He swallowed hard. “I don’t know what to say, Jethro.” Many thoughts ran through his head.

Ducky’s attitude made Gibbs bristle with anger. “Congratulations, Jethro would’ve been in order, but I guess not. Just forget what I told you.” Gibbs turned around and stormed off. Never before had he felt so betrayed by a friend than in that exact moment.

Ducky sighed and bowed his own head. He’s just made a huge mistake and he had no idea how he was going to fix it, but before he could do that, he had to talk to Tom. Tom had to know about this. This changed everything.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_‘Living on the streets was hard. Most of the time it consisted of too few meals, running for your life or worrying if you would survive the night. But, there were also the good times. Yes, they were far in between, but those moments were special and you did anything in your power to keep that bit of happiness you felt for as long as possible.’_

_‘In most instances, those happy moments were created by those you called your friends. As a child, you kept to those your own age and quickly learned that they had your back. All being the same size, it also meant that where one could hide, another often fit in that same hidey-hole perfectly. It was in once such hiding place I made my first friend – my best friend. We did everything together, we shared a bare thread blanket, the food we managed to collect and we even stole together. We were inseparable. Sometimes we fought, angry at each other for days on end, but in the end – we were friends. That’s all that mattered.’_

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**48 Hours later: undisclosed location**

Ziva wiped her hands with the cloth she brought just for this purpose. A small shiver passed through her frame and she smiled. She really, really loved her work. She looked over her shoulder at the vampire that hung limp from the shackles that kept him prisoner.

“You know this suffering will end quickly if you just give me what I want.” She sighed as she picked up a silver blade knife. She twirled it between her fingers before she turned to face the man again. “Tell me what I want to know, and I will drive this through your heart with one swift movement. You’ll be dead within seconds, or keep on stalling, keep on telling me lies, and I will make sure that death will only come to visit you in a few months, while every second of every minute will be filled with pain and suffering.” Ziva smiled again. “And no, no one will look for you. I’ve studied your habits; I saw how you liked to disappear to work on your next book. You have the tendency to disappear for months on end. Not even your editor has the ability to find you. And you made it so easy. Talking to everyone, saying it’s time for the next book. You played perfectly into my hands. I’ve got plenty of time, so it’s all up to you.” Ziva pressed the knife against the sternum of the naked man and with a single wrist movement she cut downwards. She kept the incision shallow, just letting the skin flay open as the knife moved downward. The woody essence returned as the skin and flesh burned where it met the blade.

“NOOOOOO!” The vampire shouted. He tried to move out of the knife’s way, but the way he was shackled made it impossible. His body shivered as the rivers of pain travelled through his frame. His voice was hoarse, beads of sweat dripped from the tip of his fingers to the cold concrete floor beneath him.

“YESSSSS!!!” Ziva screamed in his face. “Yes, you will tell me what I want. Yes, you want to die. Don’t be such a stubborn fool, tell me and let me kill you. It would be perfect.” She snorted. “Just think, this would’ve been perfect for your next book, just so sad that you wouldn’t be able to write it.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Just too bad.”

Nicolas Fleming sobbed. He couldn’t do this anymore. He was but a mere writer; not one of his characters that faced deadly situations on a daily basis, sometimes even before breakfast. He had no one that would miss him, nothing to look forward to should someone realize that he was indeed missing and come to rescue him. Of one thing he was sure, the young Timothy McGee was correct. There were two monsters out there, and he has met the one. He was about to meet his maker because of one. For a moment, he considered lying, but he had a feeling his tormentor would know. Fleming bowed his head out of defeat. “Promise me, promise me.” He repeated his words. He waited for the woman to come and stand before him before he continued again. “Promise me, you’ll make it quick.”

Ziva sneered, but nodded her head. “I’ll make it quick.”

“Good, and then I’ll meet you in hell.” Fleming still had the power in him to distort his face, making his long incisors appear as he snarled at her. He was able to keep it up for a few seconds, before the fangs retreated deep into their cavities. He bowed his head and then told her what she wanted to know.

Ziva wasn’t perturbed by his threat. Hell was only for monsters. As a human, she was pure, she had nothing to fear, not even death. As the vampire/author told her what she wanted to know, she stepped forward and placed the knife over his slow beating heart. “May you suffer in eternity.” She pushed the blade forward with a single thrust, keeping it there as the blood seeped from the wound, coating the blade and her hand. She didn’t move away until the vampire finally stilled and breathed no more.

Ziva wiped her hands again. She was horny as hell; luckily, Jenny was still in town. She knew just how to get rid of all this excess of energy. Tomorrow she would report what she found out. Now she had to get rid of this body and then have some orgasmic sex.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Timothy couldn’t get rid of the feeling between his shoulder blades. It was as if they were being watched. He knew Tony felt it as well. His senior partner had already opened his jacket, his Sig clearly visible in its holster.

Tony looked over at Timothy. The younger man eyes darted around, looking for something; anything. They were so in harmony with one another that they had the ability to feel each other’s moods, even emotions. He was aware that Timothy was yet to work it out, but he knew it wouldn’t be long before Timothy would realize what they were able to do. Tony had experienced it before; to him it was part of being a good cop. Tony shook his head slightly. In most instances it was a good thing, but today, he’d have to disagree. Timothy was feeding off him, he was feeding of the vibes Timothy felt, it was creating a rolling ball of negative energy and he knew he had to stop it. If someone stepped up behind them now, both he and McGee would most likely shoot first and ask questions later. Tony took a deep breath and tried to push down the unease he felt. He took another breath and then slowly moved away from McGee. He hoped that the distance between them would stop making them feed from the negative feelings they were experiencing. He stretched out hard and smiled as his spine clicked into place. “Much better.” He grinned and reached for his wallet. “Go and get us some coffee, McGee.” He held the notes out to the younger man. “There’s a place just a few stores down, I’ll keep watch here.” Tony looked at his watch. Their contact was a few minutes late, but they were used to waiting and another few minutes wouldn’t hurt.

Timothy relaxed as the tension seeped from his body. He sighed in relief and couldn’t help but to frown at the sudden change of the _atmosphere_ surrounding him. “You sure?”

“Positive,” Tony grinned. “I’ll text you the moment he shows up.” Tony even took out his phone and held it in his hand to show that he was serious.

“I won’t be gone long,” Timothy pushed the notes into his trousers’ pocket and walked away.

Tony looked on as his friend walked off and sighed. He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. The muscles there were tense and he knew he would need a heat pack to get them to relax if he didn’t want to walk with a stiff neck tomorrow. “Only a few more hours,” he whispered to himself. He paced the sidewalk again and couldn’t help but to think back on what had happened when they finally spoke to Nathan. It took them longer than what they thought as one or other asshat over at CPS found out about him and wanted to send him to a group home ASAP. Of course that made Nathan to clamp up straight away, and it took Tony a long time to convince him that they didn’t call the CPS and with a few contacts Tony found someplace for Nathan to stay for the next couple of months before he turned eighteen…

_“You willing to share your name with us?” Tony asked the teen as they sat around the large conference room. He didn’t want the teen near any of the interrogation rooms and decided on the rarely used conference room for this interview._

_“Nathan,” the kid answered softly. He had a shower and was given some clean clothes to wear. He finally looked a bit more human, even though he was still as skittish as hell._

_“Nathan,” Tony smiled. “I’m Detective DiNozzo, but you can call me Tony and this is Detective McGee, or Tim.” Tony introduced them. He’d already offered the teen something to drink and looked on as Nathan played with the can of soda before him. “How long have you known Julian?”_

_Nathan shrugged his shoulders. He picked at the tab on the top of the can. “About five months.”_

_“How did you meet?” Tony asked softly. He and McGee already decided that he would ask the questions. Once again, Nathan only shrugged and Tony realized it was something he did because he was nervous._

_Nathan remained quiet for a long time. “I had no money so I turned tricks.” He had lowered his head not wanting to look either of the men across from him in the eyes._

_“By tricks you mean prostitution?” Tony hated asking, but they had to be sure._

_“Yeah, I became a whore.” Nathan’s voice dripped with disgust._

_“What happened?” Tony pressed. He wanted to tell Nathan that whatever he did, he did to survive, but he couldn’t do it now. Now they had to concentrate on the case._

_Nathan snorted. “Julian happened. He found me on the corner and he looked me up and down and told me that I was a fool. He didn’t even give me a chance to respond, but just grabbed my hand and marched me off to where he was staying. It was an abandoned shop, not much but it kept him dry. He gave me food and a place to sleep.” Nathan sighed. “I thought he wanted more, I tried to thank him.” He blushed at the memory. “He slapped me hard on my arm and told me again I was the fool. I snapped. I shouted at him, ranted and raved for so long before I finally realized that he just stood there and waited for me to let go of all the anger I had bundled up inside of me. He looked at me and hugged me hard. I felt so confused.” Nathan wiped his nose. “He told me that there were other ways to survive. He made me sleep and the next morning he showed me what he meant.” Nathan managed to smile. “He introduced me to recycling. We went through each dumpster we could find in the city. We mostly collected bottles, plastic containers and cans.” He flicked his finger against the can in his hand. “We had enough money to pay for food and Julian knew of a few shelters which didn’t ask too many questions when we went to shower there.” Nathan became quiet._

_“You two do the strip of restaurants over on DuPont Street?”_

_“One of our established routes, yes.”_

_Tony nodded his head. He knew he’d seen them before. Now that Nathan told him what they did, he could place them where he saw them. “You did a great job. Most of the business owners were very impressed on how you gathered all of the stuff, without leaving a mess behind.”_

_“It wouldn’t be recycling if we messed up, would it? But it doesn’t matter now, it’s all over.” Nathan’s shoulders slumped forward._

_“It’s not over, Nathan. You may start with a new chapter in your life, but your past is still part of you. And now it’s time for you to help us, to help Julian.” Tony pressed on._

_“What do you want?” Nathan asked. He’d finally lifted his head and was looking at Tony._

_“You saw something that night, what was it?”_

_Nathan cocked his head. “You won’t believe me. And it doesn’t matter - Julian is dead. Whatever I tell you won’t bring him back.”_

_“Don’t be a fool.” Tony used the words Julian used and he was happy to note that it made Nathan sit up straight. “You don’t want Julian to have died for nothing, do you? Tell us what you saw, and don’t worry about what we may believe or not.”_

_Nathan looked at him and then at McGee. He lowered his head again but then he spoke up. “Julian had this armband he always wore on his right arm, but that night when we returned to where we slept he realized it was missing. He wanted to go out and look for it. I told him it was dark, we had to wait for the morning. He didn’t want to listen and he went out. I stayed behind.” He swallowed hard. “When he didn’t come back I decided to go and look for him.” His words were now a mere whisper. “I saw someone on the ground as I turned the corner. At first, I thought it was one of the homeless sleeping there, but then I saw the second figure and it made me stop. It lifted him; it lifted Julian off the ground and held him about ten inches off the ground by the collar of his shirt. Then Julian was pressed against the wall and for a moment, I thought they were kissing and I was angry. Julian was the one who told me I was a fool in wanting to do tricks, but there he was doing what he told me not to do. But then my brain finally caught up with my eyes. Julian’s feet were not touching the ground and he was looking my way, he couldn’t have been kissing not like that. I tried to say something, but I couldn’t. Only when the figure dropped Julian I realized that during this whole time Julian made no sound; none at all. The figure turned and I managed to hide behind a second dumpster. His mouth, it was covered in something dark; I had no idea what it was. The man looked around, wiped him mouth on his arm and then left. I stayed hidden for a long time before I finally moved.” Nathan again swallowed hard. “Julian, Julian was dead. He was cold, and I couldn’t believe it. I thought he was playing with me, but he wasn’t - he was dead. I panicked and I ran, I just ran.” He stated sobbing uncontrollably._

_Tony had let the teen cry himself out before he pushed a bottle of water in front of him. “Drink this.” He said softly. He waited until Nathan took a good swallow of the water before he spoke again. “Can you describe the figure you saw?”_

_Nathan sighed. “It was dark, he was dressed in black - that I’m sure of. He’s tall, taller than you are, but not by much. He had dark hair, but I can’t say if it’s brown or black. And he was strong, so fucking strong.” Nathan shivered._

_“You saw his hands, or at least one when he lifted Julian of the ground and when he wiped his mouth.” Tony prompted softly. “What can you tell me about his hands?”_

_At first Nathan shook his head but then he became still and he closed his eyes. “There was a mark on his right and, in the webbing between his thumb and forefinger, but I can’t tell you what it was, it was too dark.”_

_Tony smiled. “You did good, Nathan, really good.” He ended the interview. He knew it wouldn’t help to push Nathan any further. The kid had helped them as much as he could. Some of the things he told them didn’t make sense, but if that’s what the teen saw then that was that. He didn’t believe in vampires, but at this stage, it looked like someone tried to make them to believe that there were such monstrosities out there. He still had to find an explanation on the marks found on Julian’s body and why there was not a drop of blood left in the teen, but to say it was a vampire – that was just absurd._

Tony snapped back to the present as someone came his way and he straightened himself out. The man was still a few feet away, but by his general looks he had a feeling this was the guy they wanted to talk to. Nathan’s description lead to a few possible suspects, and this guy was one of them that needed to be checked out. “Cameron Mills?” Tony called out as the man finally came closer. He reached for his badge and then had to duck as the man growled and threw something hard at him before turning around and running away.

“Just fucking great!” Tony shouted as he started running after the guy. “Police, asshole, we just want to talk!” He yelled as he reached for his phone to call McGee for backup. With the phone against his ear and the man still in his sight, Tony increased his speed. He would not let the bastard get away, not after the ass made him run like this. “Police, stop!” Tony yelled again as he turned the corner and yelled at McGee as his partner finally answered the phone. He gave McGee directions to where they were and ended the call. The man was still in front of him.

McGee cursed as he heard what Tony was yelling at him. He left the coffee on the counter and sprinted out. For a moment, he had to stop and find his way before he could set off. Once again he had to make sure that he wasn’t running too fast, but he also had to find a way to cut their suspect off. He used his hearing ability and zoned into Tony’s heartbeat, and then traced the suspect in front of Tony. Timothy’s brow arched and he reached for his phone. Even as he ran, he called for EMTs. He had no idea if their perp was aware of it or not, but he’s heart was not in a good condition and after this stint he was going to need some special care. Now, knowing that it was even more important to get to the guy, Timothy increased his speed. He could hear Tony screaming at the guy to stop, the guy’s wheezing became worse and finally Tim was on him. He rammed his shoulder into the man’s side and they both tumbled to the ground. He made sure the guy didn’t get too hurt as he kept him on his back, but didn’t try to restrain him at all. Instead he pointed his weapon at him and told him to stay still. Luckily it seemed like the guy would be following his orders. He was also sure that _this_ was not the man they were looking for. It was impossible for vamps to have heart problems, this guy might have a mark on the webbing between his thumb and forefinger, but he was no vampire, of that McGee was sure.

“Nice timing, McGee.” Tony gulped for fresh air, but within a few minutes he had his breathing under control. He frowned as he saw the ash grey color of their suspect. “He doesn’t look to good.”

“Saw that myself, already phoned for a bus.” McGee responded. He kept a steady ear on the man’s heartbeat, it was still irregular but at least it was going a bit slower. Tim looked up at his partner. “I don’t think this is our guy.”

“Think so to.” Tony shook his head. He hunkered down beside the still wheezing guy. “Why did you run?”

At first he thought the man would stay silent, but then he spoke. “Owe people some money, thought they sent you.”

“And the fact that I yelled out that I’m the police, did not clue you in?”

“He’s got many people in his pockets.” The man groaned as a sharp pain travelled from his chest down his left arm.

“Easy,” McGee placed his hand on the man’s shoulders. “EMTs are on their way.” He reached for his phone, but stopped when he saw Tony was on his already. After Tony’s call, it didn’t take long for the ambulance to show up and they quickly assessed the man’s condition before loading him into the back of the vehicle. McGee found where out they would be taking the man since they still needed to talk to him before he made his way over to where Tony was leaning against the wall. “You all right, Tony?”

“Just peachy, Tim.” Tony pushed himself from the wall. “I know what Nathan said he saw, and I know our body had two evenly spaced puncture marks right over the carotid artery, but what did he use to make those marks and what happened to the blood? An average person has about 1.2 to 1.5 gallons of blood in him, and yet there was not a drop found at the scene. How did he get the blood away, how long did it take him to drain the body of the blood? And why didn’t Nathan see any machinery to do that? And I’m not even talking about the other injuries – torture injuries Julian had on his body. By Nathan’s estimate, Julian wasn’t gone for more than thirty minutes, and yet, it looked like our victim was tortured for days.” Tony shook his head. “Maybe it I should just start believing in vampires, I mean it would be just so much easier to explain, wouldn’t it?” He snorted. “Yeah, right. And I believe in the fairy godmother as well.” Tony sighed. “Let’s get back to the station. I need to get into contact with Doctor Mallard. He indicated that he should be finished with his autopsies today.” Tony turned around and started walking back to where their car was parked. He didn’t see the look of pure confusion on Tim’s face before the young vampire followed in his steps.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

For the umpteenth time Gibbs wished he had the ability to get drunk. Actually, more than drunk. Shitfaced drunk. But, it was impossible. A vampire’s metabolism was structured in such a way that burned the alcohol away, not even leaving the vampire with a bit of a buzz. It did not stop him however, from trying. He placed the empty bourbon bottle to the side where it clanged against the other six fallen comrades before he reached for the next one.

“After two hundred and twenty-five years I would’ve sworn you know that it doesn’t work.” Tobias’ voice sounded at the top of the stairs.

Gibbs snorted. “And, yet, here I am, trying again. Unless you brought another with you, Tobias, leave. You’re not welcome.”

Tobias Fornell didn’t bother himself with what his friend said, but made his way down the steps and took his seat on the second last stair. “You still sulking?” He shook his head. “Wait, let me rephrase that. You’re still sulking.” He sighed. “It’s not going to do you any good, you know that.” He moved away swiftly enough so that the well-aimed bottle passed him harmlessly. “At least it’s not a full one.” He moved back to his seat again. “Tell me.” He leaned back against the stairs and waited for his oldest friend to speak.

Gibbs regarded his friend from across the room. Tobias was there when he first fell in love with Shannon. He was the first one he called when Kelly was born and it was Tobias who held him close after a rogue vampire killed his mate and child. Tobias had seen him at his worst, those times where he refused to eat, to take blood and Tobias fed him from his own wrist, forcing him to take the offered blood to stay alive. Yet, now, he had no idea where to begin. He thought he could trust Ducky and looked what happened. He had no idea if he could risk it again. He lowered his head and shut his eyes.

Tobias remained silent, sitting quietly, waiting for his friend to work through whatever was bothering him. He knew Gibbs; they had been friends since they were born all those years ago. Gibbs had plenty of patience when it came to things like working with his hands, but he had little patience for those around him – even for himself. As a friend, you had to have that extra patience for Gibbs, it was the only way to balance him out.

“I found my mate – my bondmate.”

Gibbs’ voice was so soft that if it wasn’t for Tobias’ fine hearing he wouldn’t have picked up the words at all. “There’s more to that statement.” Tobias remained unmoved.

Gibbs grunted. “Yeah, he’s _human_.” For the first time, there was something else in his voice.

Tobias stood up and closed the distance between them. “And Ducky had no idea what to say to you and you took it as something bad.” He used Gibbs’ own tactic against him and slapped his friend hard on the back of the head. “Do you have any idea how HUGE that news is? It’s no wonder Ducky had no idea what to say. But I do.” He pulled Gibbs to his feet and hugged his friend tight. “It’s fucking about time, congratulations.” He slapped him hard on the back, took the still unopened bottle of Bourbon and unscrewed the top. He took a deep swallow of the fiery liquid before he offered the bottle to his friend.

Gibbs took the offered bottle and took a deep drink from it as well. He placed the bottle next to him and then leaned against Tobias’ chest. “What am I going to do?”

“Well, first of all you’re not going to go all ape shit around him. I do assume it’s a him. Who is it in any way?” Tobias shook his head as Gibbs remained silent and he finally added two and two together. “Really? Fucking really? Now, of all the times it could’ve happened, now?” He shook his head. “Does McGee know?” Tobias shook his head. “No, of course not.” He sat down heavily, his arm draped over Gibbs’ shoulders. “I can’t even remember the last time a human mate was found. It must’ve been ages.” He lifted Gibbs’ chin and turned his head so that he could see his friend’s eyes. “You know I have to ask. Are you sure?”

Gibbs managed to nod his head. “I could smell him before I laid eyes to him, my incisors ached and threatened to descend, and now I can close my eyes and tell you exactly where he is at this moment in time. I can feel his heartbeat pulsing in me. I can feel his emotions, and if he eats certain foods, I can taste it as if I was the one eating it.” He remained silent that he now also knew that his mate was plagued with insomnia and suspected to be night terrors.

“That’s enough proof for me.” Tobias looked at his friend. “He doesn’t believe in us.”

Gibbs snorted. “McGee informed me already. He’s also pissed at me at the moment.” Gibbs smiled. “It’s one emotion he doesn’t try to contain.”

Fornell cocked his head. “You’ve picked up on it as well.” He shouldn’t be surprised. Especially if Tony was indeed Gibbs’ bondmate.

Gibbs nodded his head. “He’s an empath and a very strong one as well. That’s also one of the reasons why he’s such a hell of a detective.” Gibbs sounded proud.

“And that gift is going to intensify when you mate with him.” For a moment Tobias sounded concerned.

“Don’t be so sure of any mating yet, Tobias. He might kill me before he becomes my mate. I still need to convince him.” He left one thing unsaid; he was worried about the Council. Being mated to a human was even more of an issue than being mated to your bondmate. He shook his head slightly. He didn’t want to think about it, not now in any case. Gibbs reached for the bourbon again. Even if it was impossible to get drunk, nothing stopped him from drinking some more.

Tobias slapped Gibbs on the shoulder. “It will work out, you’ll see. It will.” He reached for the bottle and took a deep drink from it as well. Silently the two vampires sat and drank the night away until they were ready to face the new day.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Ducky sat down quietly with his notes and waited for the autopsy doors to open. It had been a long two days. Two days in which he wished he could let the time grind to a halt and could have fixed what he’d messed up, but that was not to be. He had to face what he’d done and he had to mend the fence he’d managed to break down. For the first time in his years of almost five-hundred, he had no idea what to do. He looked up as the doors finally swished open. “Ah, Director Morrow.” Ducky came to his feet to greet his oldest friend.

“When was the last time you took some blood, old friend?” Tom Morrow inquired as he took in the pale skin of his friend. Without waiting for a reply, he walked over to the large freezer and picked out a bag of blood. He quickly heated it for twelve seconds in the microwave before handing it to his friend. “Drink, I can see you need this.” He waited patiently for the older vampire to take the offered blood before he continued. “Gibbs will forgive you, you know that. He’s always been the stubborn one. Once he sits down and rethinks everything he will understand that he over reacted.”

“As did I.” Ducky replied as he squeezed the heated blood into a sturdy mug before drinking it in one go. He sighed as the blood slid down his throat and entered his system. “Thank you.” He indicated to the empty bag that he threw away.

“I gather you’ve not spoken to him or to the detective as yet?” Tom asked as he pulled one of the rolling chairs closer to take a seat.

“I am expecting either a call or a visit from the detective any second now. I spoke to him very briefly earlier. As for our mutual friend, no. The last time I spoke to him, or saw him for that matter was at the memorial. I tried to phone him, but he does not answer.” Ducky collected all of his notes from the file and placed them together. “However, we’ve got a major problem on our hands. Young Timothy was indeed correct. We have more than one killer on our hands. In fact, I would say three. One, who is responsible for the carnage up the east coast, one who is working with the first killer and one, who killed Nancy. I’m about ninety percent sure that the first two killers are not the same. Their signatures on their bodies are just too distinct to be the same. Both of them are vampires, as no human could create that damage to a vampire body. Nancy’s killer is indeed a human – a very skilled human in the art of torture. The killer took its time, working her body as Gibbs would work a piece of wood, with patience. _This_ killer must be our main concern. The other two will make mistakes; we will be able to track them down easily when we get our first break, but not our last killer. It will take all we have to track that killer down. I will even go so far, Thomas as to say that this killer already picked its next victim.”

Tom Morrow stood quietly before he spoke. “I’ll inform the rest of the council of your findings, Ducky. I will also speak to my counterparts in the human realm. They’ll need to put all of their forces on alert if we want to catch these perps. As for Nancy’s, I think at this stage we need to concentrate on finding her killer ASAP. I’ll make sure Gibbs knows this is our first priority. I’ll also make sure that we get sole control over the case. We can’t let any human interfere with this investigation; it doesn’t matter how skilled they might be.”

Ducky nodded in agreement. “I’ll relay my findings on the examinations of the other bodies to Detective DiNozzo and I will refer him to his Captain when he enquires about Nancy.”

“Thank you, Doctor Mallard.” Morrow exited the autopsy room and headed up the stairs. He had some calls to make and for a moment he was glad that he didn’t have to deal with a human detective who in all honesty had the right to be upset when he learned he was excluded from this investigation. But it was for the best.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

The detectives’ bullpen became eerily quiet as the captain’s office door slammed shut so hard that even the windowpanes across the room rattled in their frames. No one dared to ask what was going on, as the whole argument could be heard through the closed door. All of them were on Tony’s side. It was indeed _totally fucked up_ as he so adequately stated it. It was Tony’s case and now that special Federal Agency came in and took it all away, even when a few days ago the buzzwords were _interdepartmental cooperation_. They looked on as Tony grabbed his jacket and stormed out of room. None of them was surprised when Tony’s younger partner also grabbed his jacked and followed suit. They could only hope that young McGee would be able to calm DiNozzo down. An upset DiNozzo (especially in the mood he was now) was never a good thing to deal with. It was as if it upset the whole balance of the office. Even the most laid-back scumbag they would have locked up would start getting angsty and difficult.

“Tony!” McGee called out as they headed down the precincts steps and out into the street. “TONY!” This time he yelled and sighed in relief as his clearly visible upset partner came to a halt and turned around. McGee was about to speak up when Tony beat him to it.

“Don’t even think of mentioning that man’s name, McGee; not if you still want to have your teeth in your mouth.” Tony trembled with anger. “Work together, my fucking ass. The moment they pick up a lead, we’re no longer good enough and the whole fucking thing gets taken away from us. I can’t fucking believe it.” He paced the sidewalk as he run his hand through his hair.

Timothy could count the number of times he truly seen Tony angry, and he have to say that this time took the cake. Tony rarely cursed, and for him to use the word ‘fuck’ three times was a record. He remained quiet until he came to a halt next to his partner. Timothy knew he’d have to choose his words carefully. “I know for a fact that Gibbs was just as upset about this as you are, Tony.”

Tony turned to face his partner. “Really, Tim? And why would that be? Don’t come and stand here next to me while you still stand up that bastard, Tim. You work for the DC police department, not for Gibbs and not for _that_ agency. So stop being loyal to Gibbs, McGee. He’s only a friend of Abby and nothing more. He doesn’t deserve your loyalty.”

Timothy knew Tony had a right to be upset, but Tony also was also correct; he was loyal to Gibbs. Working for Gibbs before made him a firm believer in Gibbs. “You know it wasn’t Gibbs who made the order, Tony. It came from higher up.” He didn’t add that it most likely came from the Vampire Council. Tony wouldn’t believe him in any case.

“Really, McGee? You want me to believe that. You’ve seen him strutting around, acting as if he was the main peanut in the packet. _He_ decided to take this case away from us. Hell,” Tony snorted. “With just one phone call he wormed himself onto the case, didn’t he?”

“Gibbs wouldn’t do that, Tony.” McGee tried again. He was unprepared for what happened next.

Tony turned and shoved his partner hard against the building behind them. “Then turn in your fucking badge, McGee and go and lick his shoes. It’s clear where your loyalties lay and it’s not with this department.” Tony let go of Tim’s shirt. “If I can’t trust you to have my back on this, it’s clear I can’t have you as my partner.” Tony sounded devastated. “Clear out your desk, McGee, go find yourself another partner.” With those words, Tony turned around and walked off.

A flabbergasted Timothy McGee remained behind.


	5. Chapter 4

[ ](http://s792.photobucket.com/user/Dont_hate_me01/media/Gibbs_zpsekwmmpni.png.html)

**Chapter 4**

_‘My first year, year and a half on the streets went by in a blur. I was scared, on the run, a vampire child whom, although I knew how to feed, still found it difficult to hunt for my own food. The taste of rat’s blood is one that I would never get used to. They tasted dirty, but beggars can’t be choosers and on most days when I needed the blood the most, it had to do. It was also in that time that I was too greedy and drained the small animals off all their blood, leaving their lifeless bodies lying around. Not that anyone complained about dead rats. Then I got my first taste of human blood and something changed. Not out there in the universe, but something inside of me. For the first time I realized what real blood tasted like. That it not only had the ability to quench my thirst, but it satisfied me in a way I never thought was possible.’_

_‘I also learned one other important lesson – I didn’t need to kill to fill my hunger. If I took enough to render the host unconscious, they would recover. They would have no memory of what had happened, although they remembered me – and fondly if I may add and a strange bond developed between us. One that I later learned of was called a blood bond and one which would serve me well for many hundreds of years to come.’_

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs was pissed off. It would be shorter to list those people who he wasn’t pissed off at than to even start and say who got him in such an awful mood. Not even coffee or a deep drink of velvety red blood could make him feel better.

“It’s for the best, Gibbs and you know it.” Tom Morrow spoke as he stood at his window looking out at the people hurrying along the streets far down below.

Gibbs shook his head. “For whom, Tom? For us, for the humans? Or maybe for those bastards that are killing us off one by one. With Fleming missing, the Council will panic, and then God knows what will happen.” He sighed. “I know Fleming tends to disappear, but you know him. He’s not someone who would go on his own when there’s a killer on the loose. Instead, he would’ve bugged me to death with questions for a new book. He would’ve wanted to make this into his newest best seller; he would not just disappear. We need _their_ help, Tom. I know you also had a look at DiNozzo’s file. He’s one of the best out there. He can help with the investigation and by letting him out of the loop and only feeding him what we think he needs we’re jeopardizing the whole investigation, Tom.” Gibbs paced. “As long as we’re careful, I don’t understand why we can’t continue working with them; with DiNozzo.”

Morrow turned away from the window and looked at the vampire pacing his office. “Are you saying this because of the fact that DiNozzo is your possible bondmate or because he could actually help?”

Gibbs’ head snapped back at Morrow’s words. “No, Tom and I thought you knew me better than that. But, just in case you forgot, we’re dealing with a _human_ killer here. We may look like humans on the outside and almost alike from the inside as well, but we don’t think like them. None of us can place ourselves in the shoes of a human and think like them. Tony will be able to get into this killer’s headspace and that’s what we need.” He didn’t even bother to comment on the fact that Morrow knew that Tony was his potential bondmate. Either Ducky or Tobias would’ve told him. He couldn’t help but to wonder how long it would take the Council to summons him before them. It’s the one thing they seemed never to be able to keep their noses out of.

Tom remained quiet. He knew Gibbs was correct, hell, the vampire was always right. “And if we capture this human monster and he starts spewing about us, what then?”

“Then nothing. He wouldn’t have any proof unless he actually tortures one of us right in front of DiNozzo, and you know as well as I that he wouldn’t stand for that. He would say the man is delusional.”

Tom cocked his head. “And then what about diminished capacity? That human will then not stand trial, but instead will be locked up for a few years and then released again. How will that sort our problem?”

“Then the fact that we’ve got psychiatrist and psychologists on different boards, as well as some very high up DA’s don’t mean a thing, Tom.” Gibbs finally took a seat. “You’re in any case putting the cart before the horses, Tom. We first need to find out who the bastard is, then catch him and then we can talk about all those lawyer stuff.”

“Just how do you suppose we get DiNozzo back on board, Jethro?” Tom took his seat.

“You’re just going to have to grovel to get him back.” Gibbs grinned.

Morrow frowned. “Why me?”

“Because it wasn’t me who got him removed from the case in the first place, now was it, Tom?” Gibbs didn’t give his boss and friend a chance to respond. “I’ll phone him in an hour, surely that would give you enough time to get him back on board?” Gibbs got up and let himself out of the office. He smiled when he heard Morrow curse. He nodded at the personal assistant and then made his way down the stairs to get some work done.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

“You must be fucking kidding with me.” Tony looked at the phone he held in his hand before he locked the screen and placed it back into his pocket. “Can you believe that?” He looked up and then sighed. The desk across from his was empty. McGee had done what he ordered him to do and cleared out his desk. Tony knew he acted in haste and that he had no right to treat his junior team member in such a way, but unfortunately for McGee he was there at that moment when Tony lost his cool and took all of his anger and frustrations out on the younger man. Tony sighed and dragged his hand over his face. He was so tired, this case was getting on his nerves and yes, he was still working on it even if they pulled him from it. He was getting too little sleep, knew he would have to make an effort to get some before he fell asleep on his feet, but first things first. He had a younger partner to go and look for and then he had a murderer to catch.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs looked up from his desk as the shadow fell across his table. “Ducky,” he nodded and leaned back in his chair. He had not spoken a word to the ME since their fall out at the council meeting, although he did want to, but hadn’t had the chance to do that yet. He also knew he overreacted, but he always found it extremely hard to apologize.

“Jethro,” Ducky greeted his friend and then cleared his throat. “When you said you wanted a word in private, I have to say I thought it to be in regards to the case. Not for one moment did I think it was about you having found your life-mate. I should not have acted in the manner I did. Instead, I should have given you my support. Please forgive this old vampire for his transgression.”

Ducky was the only vampire he knew that had the ability to deliver an apology that was always sincere and had the power to make you feel guilty, even though Ducky was the one who was apologizing. “I over reacted, Ducky.” Gibbs lowered his head and then looked up again. “I’m going out for coffee, can I bring you some?” Both men realized that Gibbs accepted Ducky’s apology and in the same breath, Gibbs apologized himself. It would take an hour or two, but soon both men would be comfortable with one another again, this little argument between them forgotten.

“Only if I can get a cup of tea, you know how I feel about caffeine, Jethro.” Ducky smiled as the two men made their way out of the bullpen and towards the elevators. “You seem in a good mood?” He inquired as they stepped into the tin ride.

Gibbs grinned. “DiNozzo’s back on the case, and before you start explaining why you think it’s a bad thing, let me tell you what I told Tom.” Gibbs waited for Ducky’s nod of the head before he continued. “We’re looking for a human killer, and Tony’s human. We always deal with vampire murderers, we are vampires, we know how to act, how to react but we’re not human. DiNozzo is. He catches human killers and he’s one of the best out there. We’ll be cutting off our own noses to spite our faces if we do not use him on this investigation, Ducky.”

“Mm, I see.” Ducky murmured. Finally, he looked up just as the elevator came to a halt. “You’re right, Jethro. Anthony would be a great help in finding the monsters – vampire or human.”

Gibbs didn’t respond, just gave a lopsided grin and walked towards the nearest coffee shop. He really was in need of a cup of that dark rich flavored substance. He came to a halt as he saw McGee standing on the sidewalk looking up at the agency’s building. “McGee?” By the slumped look of the younger vampire’s shoulders Gibbs knew something was wrong.

McGee turned and bowed his head. “I fucked up, Boss.” The words were a mere whisper, but neither Gibbs nor Ducky had any problem in picking them up.

“What happened, Timothy?” Ducky took the first step towards him.

McGee looked up. “I failed you, Boss.” He didn’t offer an apology, just stated the fact.

“Nonsense, boy. How did you do that? You don’t even work for Jethro.” Ducky stood perplexed.

“What happened, McGee?” Gibbs had finally closed the distance between them and stood at Tim’s shoulder.

Timothy shrugged. “I told the truth.”

“Then you couldn’t have failed me, Tim.” Gibbs replied immediately.

“This is not making any sense. Maybe you should start at the beginning, Timothy. And walk with us; we were just on our way getting something to drink.” Ducky took McGee’s arm for assistance and together they continued their walk.

McGee remained quiet for the trip down to the coffee shop, only when they all had their drinks and took up seats at an outside table, did he speak up. “Tony was upset about being taken off the case. He blamed you, Gibbs.”

Gibbs snorted, but didn’t respond, instead he indicated to McGee to continue.

“I told him it wasn’t you and he accused me of divided loyalties. He told me he no longer wanted to be my partner.” McGee lowered his head in shame. “I’ve decided to quit the force. I’ll be of more help for the agency in any way.”

The slap sounded hard and a few people turned around to see what was going on. The look on Gibbs’ face made them all turn back to what they were doing. “You’re right, McGee I am disappointed in you. But not because of your reasons, but because of your actions. Just because DiNozzo exploded in what in all likelihood was a temper flare you decided the best thing to do is to quit? You’re no longer a fledgling, McGee.” Gibbs bristled with anger, but then his shoulders sagged. “Thank you for being loyal to me, but you will not quit. Tony’s going to need you soon enough and I still need you there to watch his back.”

“But we’re off the case, Boss?” McGee was still rubbing at the spot on the back of his head. He’d forgotten just how hard Gibbs was able to head slap.

“Not any longer, McGee. Drink up and get going, get back at being DiNozzo’s partner.” Gibbs offered no explanation on how he knew they were back on the case. He smiled as Timothy gulped down the still hot liquid quickly before he got to his feet.

“I’ll keep in touch.” He pulled a few dollars out of his wallet and placed them on the table. “Thanks for the reminder, Boss.” McGee smiled as Gibbs laughed out loud and Ducky shook his head. He knew Gibbs was right, he was no longer a fledgling; he could no longer run away when it became tough, it was time to do what he always wanted to do and that was to be a cop, to be a good partner for Tony.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

“McGee!” Tony called out as he stepped out of the precinct and saw the man he was looking for. As the younger detective came to a halt, Tony jogged over. “May I have a moment of your time?” He asked quickly, not wanting Tim to walk away before he could speak to him.

“Sure, Tony.” McGee held his breath.

For a moment, Tony looked embarrassed before he squared his shoulders. “I acted like an ass, and I took my frustrations out on you. I don’t want another partner.”

Timothy knew he had make sure his mouth was closed as he stood before Tony. Tony always apologized if he did wrong, but never directly. In the past, he would find a donut or his favorite hot drink on his desk after Tony managed to do something stupid. To get an honest verbal apology like this was rare. “I understand, Tony.” Timothy smiled.

“And?” Tony frowned. If McGee didn’t accept his apology, he had no idea what to do to make things better. At first, he wanted to go with the normal donut thing, but since McGee cleared out his desk, he didn’t want to risk it and place the peace offering in the younger man’s locker. He had no idea when Timothy would open his locker again, and in any event, he couldn’t wait that long; not if they wanted to catch this killer.

McGee sighed. “And apology accepted.” Before he could add anything else, Tony had him by his arm and dragged him towards his parked 1966 Mustang.

“Good to hear, McFriendy. Let’s go, we’ve got work to do.” Tony even went as far to open the passenger door for his partner before he ran around to get in behind the wheel.

McGee frowned. “What’s going on, Tony? Where are we heading to?”

“We’re back on the case.” Tony grinned. “And I need to speak to Doctor Mallard.” Tony nodded at himself. “Have some questions he’s the one with the answers. We also need to talk to Nathan again. See if his story makes more sense now. We also need to have a look at those cases Gibbs was working on prior to our murders and I still need to know where the hell the blood went.”

It was Timothy’s turn to smile. He reached out and grabbed Tony’s arm. “Breathe, Tony. You need oxygen to keep on living and with you talking more than a mile an hour, you’re going to run out of oxygen.” Once again, it amazed Tim just how full of passion Tony was about his work.

“Pff,” Tony huffed. “Breathing is for later, McGee. Now, we must work.” But this time he did stay silent as they made their way back to where McGee had just come from.

McGee smiled again and reached for the file that lay on the back seat. Tony always kept an up-to-date copy of their latest case in his car. McGee had witnessed how Tony would leaf through a file in peak traffic just to keep himself busy. He was also aware of the different cold cases Tony keeps in his car to work through. On more than one occasion while stuck in traffic, Tony had managed to grab different pieces of evidence together and solve a case. Tony had a real gift for stuff like that, and it was something that amazed McGee each and every time.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

“McGee! Tony!” Abby called out as she entered autopsy and found her two best friends in Ducky’s domain. “What are you two doing here?” Even as she came closer, she opened her arms to first hug Timothy and then Tony.

“Hey, Abby.” McGee greeted the scientist friendly. “We’re here to pick Ducky’s brains on the case.”

Tony turned his attention back to the ME before him. “You sure, Doctor Mallard? We’re working with different killers?” He hated the fact that his initial thoughts were indeed correct. “Are they aware of each other, are they working together or are they in some sort of rivalry with one another?” He started to pace. So many scenarios played through his mind and he hated all the different outcomes he could think of. “Or is it a coincidence?” Tony shook his head and continued to talk, but more to himself than to anyone else around him. “I mean, Julian’s body was the third one we’ve picked up with the blood drained _antemortem_ , while our latest victim Nancy Patterson’s blood was not drained. No, it’s no coincidence. But why so similar and yet different?” He didn’t notice that the autopsy room had gone quiet or that Gibbs had entered the room. Tony turned again, mumbled something and then spun around. His eyes landed on Gibbs and he couldn’t help but to give the man a small smile before he focused on Doctor Mallard again. “You’ve done all of the autopsies on the victims of Agent Gibbs’ serial killer and although I know he is suspecting that our victims are also his killer’s victims, and I’ve read your reports and I’ve noticed the dissimilarities between them. Why? Is he bored, or is he perfecting his method?” He paced again and didn’t notice the look that passed between Gibbs, Ducky and McGee.

Abby remained silent as she watched her friend pace the room. She always loved to watch at him work. Many nights she spent at his apartment while he worked on different cases and she could say with all honesty that Tony’s mind worked in a unique manner. It was as if he played ping-pong in his head, his thoughts going faster and faster until he finally sorted things out. She cocked her head when she saw Tony becoming aware of Gibbs’ presence in the room and the moment he smiled at her uncle, she saw the look on Gibbs’ face. It was as if Gibbs’ looked younger. Not that he looked old. Gibbs might be over two-hundred years, but he was far from being old. But that look, that look was as if something changed. Abby looked at Tony again and then it hit her. Her first thought was that she was wrong, but she looked again and then realized she was right. Gibbs’ body language gave it all away. Abby was about to squeal in surprise when she caught Ducky’s expression and when he shook his head with a tiny movement her eyes grew large but she remained silent. It, did however, not stop her for bouncing up and down. By the look Gibbs gave her she knew she’d have to calm down, but it was difficult not with what she realized and it was beyond awesome. Gibbs had found his bondmate and it was Tony. Then she remembered something and her bounce stopped. Tony flirted a lot. He also had a new girl- or boyfriend every other week and then the most disturbing fact of all – he didn’t believe in them – her kind. Abby looked around. Tony was still working things out by talking to himself. Gibbs was looking at Tony as if he was the only other person in the room. Tim was nodding in agreement with what Tony was saying but Ducky was still looking at her. When the Elder smiled, Abby calmed down. Ducky knew what was going on. Ducky would sort it out.

With age came the ability to notice and to comprehend more than one thing at a time. For instance, he recognized the exact moment Abby realized what the nature of Jethro and Anthony’s relationship should be. The exact moment that the young detective figured out that they had not two, but three killers to deal with and the exact moment when Jethro realized that they should tell Anthony about _their_ kind. Ducky sighed as he shook his head, making sure Abby understood that now was not the time to speak up. He moved forward with the intent to entertain Tony with a story of his _youth_ in an attempt to make sure Jethro didn’t just blurt out what they were and also – hopefully, make Tony think that he made a mistake in the different assumptions that he reached, just to give them that extra bit of time to work things out for themselves. Unfortunately, for Ducky, he only succeeded in two of his objectives. He would learn with time, just as he learned with age, that once Anthony DiNozzo was on a roll, nothing stopped him. Some things would slow him down, but stop him – never.

“There’s a third killer.” Tony spoke up as he came to a halt again. He turned and caught the expression on the faces around him. “You knew.” He addressed Gibbs first. He had to, he’d also seen the look on McGee’s face and McGee knew. Something was going on, but first he had to know about the third killer and then he would ponder on the fact that McGee knew and didn’t say a word.

Gibbs nodded his head. There was no sense in denying it. Tony nailed it on the head. There was a third killer and they knew about it. He was about to speak up when the detective beat him to it.

“We’re dealing with two serial killers; two that you’ve been tracking across the eastern side all the way to D.C. and now we’ve got a third one. Not that I could label the third killer as a serial killer, not with only one kill and by the look on your face, Agent Gibbs, I would assume that I’m right. There is only one victim for this third killer, but you’re convinced that it won’t be the last. Why? What do you know what I don’t? It’s even more important that I ask that question than to ask where he comes from and why. Why now? Is he taunting you?” Tony came to a halt right in front of Gibbs. “You know something else, what is it?”

“There’s been another body.” Gibbs looked up and caught Ducky’s eye. “Nicolas Fleming.”

Abby gasped and placed her hand over her mouth and even Timothy blanched at the news, giving an involuntary step backwards. Both loved his books, but he was also family – he was part of their clan.

Tony looked carefully at his partner when Gibbs told them about the latest body. Timothy’s reaction made him frown. He knew the younger agent read the writer’s books, but it was as if he was more shocked to hear about the news than what he should be, almost as if he knew the author personally. He had so many questions to ask, not only to McGee, but also to Agent Gibbs and Doctor Mallard, but first they had a crime scene to attend. “McGee with me,” Tony moved towards the doors and spoke over his shoulder. “Where are we heading to?” He didn’t wait for a reply but kept on walking, instinctively knowing that Gibbs would not remain behind but would follow quickly as well.

Gibbs gave the information and looked as DiNozzo took the stairs instead of the elevator. For a moment it looked like Timothy was going to with them but then the young vampire took off after his partner. Gibbs sighed. He had a feeling DiNozzo suspected something was going on, and he hoped that McGee would hold it together until they could sort it all out.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Abby looked on as four of the most important people in her life exited autopsy. For a moment, she stood silently before she also moved out of the empty room and made her way back to her own lab. She couldn’t believe that Nicolas was dead. If she had to describe him, she would’ve described him as eccentric, but he had a good heart. His books were always on par, the facts portrayed in a true and correct manner, while the plot was believable and always gripping. “First Nancy and now Nicolas. What the hell is going on?” Abby paced the room. “This can’t be good, not at all.” She shook her head, her twin ponytails bobbing with the action. Abby turned to her computer and started running a search for any possible links between Nancy and Nicolas. There had to be something that the two of them shared which made them victims and she had to find it. The sooner the better.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

“Tortured again,” Tony got up from where he hunkered next to the body and peeled the gloves from his hands. He looked over to where Gibbs was standing across from him. McGee was busy taking photographs while Ducky readied the gurney to take the victim away. “Why is he draining the bodies afterwards?” Tony asked the question aloud. He didn’t wait for a reply but continued. “It’s the same killer, for sure. There might be different torture techniques used, but the precision with which it was done tells me it’s the same killer. It’s as if he has all the time in the world.” Tony frowned. “Is he torturing his victims for the fun of it? Surely, if you torture someone you do it because you’re in need of certain information. And I would’ve thought that you needed that information fairly quickly, otherwise why would you torture someone for it?” He shook his head. “This doesn’t make any sense. Why these two people? The one was a surgeon, the other an author. What did they have in common?” Tony looked up at McGee. “Finish up here; it’s time we speak to the families.” He turned and didn’t see the look of panic on Timothy’s face.

“I’ve already spoken to the family of Patterson.” Gibbs replied. “I’ll go and talk to Fleming’s editor, Derick Owens. As far as I know the man had no family.”

Tony nodded his head. “McGee, take the car back to the precinct. I’ll get a lift from Agent Gibbs.” He smiled. “I’m sure you won’t mind me tagging along.”

Gibbs shrugged his shoulders. “Let’s get it over with.” He pulled his own gloves off and threw them away in a nearby trashcan. He didn’t look at the detective next to him as they walked side by side to his car.

Tony waited until they had gotten in the vehicle and Gibbs pulled away before he spoke up again. “Did you know Fleming well?”

Gibbs shook his head. “Read a few of his books, he also followed me on one of my cases for a few days, but that’s the extent of it.”

“Is that how you know that he doesn’t have any family?” Tony asked as he looked out at the passing scenery. Gibbs was a hell driver, but Tony made sure not to react.

Gibbs grunted in lieu of a reply.

“Okay, answer me this. Just how well do you know Timothy?”

Gibbs frowned. Of all the questions he thought Tony might ask, that was one question he didn’t expect. “Something you wanted to say, Detective DiNozzo?”

“Yes, I want to know what’s going on. It’s clear that you, Doctor Mallard and Abby are hiding something from me. What I can’t understand, is how Tim fits into everything and don’t even try to deny it. Since you’ve appeared on the scene, he’s become secretive, loyal to you, who, for all purposes, should be a stranger and I have had enough. So, spill, what’s going on?” Tony turned and faced him.

“Why aren’t you asking your partner this?” Gibbs knew he was stalling.

Tony snorted. “Because I’m asking you.” Tony shook his head. “That’s what I hate about alphabet agencies like yours. You’re always sticking in your nose where it doesn’t belong. Always answer a question with a question and when the shit hits the fan you’re the first ones to point fingers at us the locals.” He lowered his head. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Agent Gibbs. You mean the world to Abby, you’re more of a father figure to her than just an uncle but you’re also her hero. Every time she spoke about you, I thought you’re too amazing to be true, and I was right, wasn’t I? Just as full of shit as everyone else.” Tony leaned with his head against the window as Gibbs took the next turn to fast. “I’ll talk to McGee, but I can’t tell him to whom he’s not allowed to talk, but I’m telling you, Agent Gibbs, stay away from my partner. He’s a good cop, I don’t want him ending up somewhere dead because of the likes of you.” The car came to a halt and without looking at the man next to him, Tony got out of the car. He waited for Gibbs to get out as well before he continued. “Let’s do this.” He didn’t wait for Gibbs but made his way over to the two story house that by the sign in front doubled as a publishing house by day and with the different toys in front looked to be a family home at night.

Gibbs was speechless – again. DiNozzo called a spade a spade, sometimes even a fucking shovel by the look of things. He knew DiNozzo was right, and he knew that the detective deserved some answers, and he for one would’ve gladly supplied them, but now was not the time. Gibbs sighed as he stopped closely behind the young human just as Tony knocked on the door. They stood in silence waiting to be let in. Finally, after what felt like ages, the door opened and a young brunette smiled at them. She looked at the two men before she opened the door wider and welcomed them in.

Tony introduced himself and Gibbs as well. “May we have a moment of Mr. Owens time, please?”

Her eyes grew huge when she saw Tony’s badge. “I’ll let him know.” She scurried over to a phone and in a whispered tone told her boss that the police were there to see him. She ended the call and turned back to them. “Mr. Owens will be right out. May I get you anything to drink while you wait?”

Tony shook his head, but Gibbs spoke up. “Coffee, please. Black, no sugar.” He managed to smile as the assistant nodded her head at his order and hurried off. He turned when he felt eyes on him. “What?” Gibbs asked with a frown.

“I never thought of you as a coffee person, that’s all.”

“What do I drink then?” Gibbs had a smile on his face.

“Bourbon,” Tony answered without hesitation.

“It’s too early for bourbon, don’t you think?” Gibbs stood up as the door across from them opened and a middle-aged man walked towards them. Derick Owens could be described as podgy with a receding hairline and a large moustache that almost made him look like a walrus. He had beady eyes hidden beneath large framed spectacles.

“Gentleman, how can I be of assistance?”

Gibbs took out his ID and badge and showed it to the man. He’d heard a lot about Fleming’s editor, but it was the first time he’d met him. “May we speak to you in private, please?” He took the cup of coffee offered to him.

Owens’ frowned. “Sure, come on through.” He turned around and guided them into his office. Three of the four walls were lined with shelves of books, the desk had a few extra stacked up while several manuscripts filled the rest of the office desk. “Have a seat.” Owens indicated to the chairs as he took his own seat behind his desk. He waited for them to sit before he began to speak. “Can you now tell me what’s this all about?”

“Nicolas Fleming, you are his editor?” Tony asked from the left.

Owens frowned and then groaned. “Please tell me he didn’t get arrested doing something foolish. I know he can be a bit strange, but he means no harm. If you tell me what he did, I’m sure we can sort it all out, no harm done.” He looked at the two men.

Gibbs cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, but Fleming is dead.” Both human and vampire looked on as the blood drained from Owens’ face and as the man lifted his hand to remove his glasses they could see the tremors that shook his large frame.

“What happened?” Owens whispered. He’d replaced his glasses, but his hands were still shaking.

“He was murdered.” Tony supplied the answer. “Can you tell us when you heard from him last, or saw him?”

Owens gaped at them, shook his head, cleared his throat and only then did he speak up. “Maybe two weeks ago, I’m not sure. We’ve just finished up with his last book tour, he said he wanted to take a few days off and then start on the new one. He had a few ideas and he wanted to look over them. We have,” Owens shook his head again. “Sorry, we had a lunch appointment for next week.” He looked at them. “Are you sure? I mean, are you sure it’s Nicolas?” He frowned. “I don’t understand. Who would murder, Nicolas? Was it a robbery gone wrong? I really don’t understand.”

Tony looked over at Gibbs. He hated interviews like this and by the look on the older man’s face, he wasn’t the only one. He cleared his throat. “Do you know if Mr. Fleming had any enemies, someone who would’ve wanted to harm him?”

Owens shook his head. “No, no one. I mean as I said, Nicolas was a bit quirky, but everyone loved him. I’m sorry, I can’t think of anyone who would do something like that.”

“How long have you been Mr. Fleming’s editor?” Gibbs inquired.

“Mm, for the past five, six years.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Six years. We published three books together, one every two years.” A smile appeared on Owens’ face. “Nicolas is..,” he swallowed, “was, so meticulous. He would do research on his next book for between six and eight months and then he would do nothing else but to write the next one. It just worked for him like that.” Owens lowered his head into his hands. “I’ve got no idea what to do next.” He looked up at them. “But sitting around here is also not going to help. Is there anything else I could help you with?”

“Tony pushed for one last question. “ You indicated that you saw Mr. Fleming about two weeks back and that you had an appointment with him next week?” After a nod from Owens he continued. “Was that normal, I mean – the period of no contact?”

“I was used to it. We all were. He would be in contact with us one day and then the next nothing. I mean, it took some time getting used to it, especially in the beginning when we did editing on the latest book. We worked with deadlines, but with him disappearing like that, I was scared we wouldn’t make them, but we always did and I, we, got used to him disappearing for weeks on end. So, in short, yes, there was nothing strange about him disappearing and not hearing anything from him.” Owens came to his feet. “I’m sorry, but I really need to start making calls.”

Gibbs already knew all of this. He and Tony got to their feet as well. “If you can think of anything else, please don’t hesitate to call us.” Tony pressed a business card in the editor’s hands as they were guided out of the room and out of the house/office. Neither man said anything until they were in the car again.

“Our killer knew no one would come looking for Fleming. He knew Fleming’s routine.” Tony looked over at Gibbs. “He’s either stalking his victims, or doing research on them, maybe even both.” Tony sighed. “How the hell are we going to find this bastard?” He felt frustrated as he slammed his fist into the dashboard, before leaning back against the seat. Tony took a deep breath. “Can you drop me at the precinct; I’ve got some thinking to do.” He didn’t add that he also had a junior detective to question. He had to know what was going on, especially if it could have an impact on the cases they were working.

Gibbs looked at Tony for a very long time before he grunted in response and started the car. He knew Tony was right, whoever their killer was studied the victims and they had no idea how to trace the bastard. Not yet in any case. He hoped that between Ducky and Abby he’d have more answers and could start looking for a possible suspect. He sighed softly. He still couldn’t believe that they were looking for a human suspect, but it did make sense. None of his kind would feel threatened in any way if they were approached by a human, but this human was a threat, one that they needed to find as soon as possible, before more of _his_ kind died.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Abby looked up as the door to her lab slid open and Ducky appeared. He smiled and handed her some specimen jars and a clipboard to preserve the chain of evidence. “Aren’t you going to say anything, Ducky?”

“Do you think it is my place to say anything, my dear Abigail?” Ducky placed the samples on the counter and turned to face the young vampire Goth.

“Are you then not excited? Did you know when this happened? When will Gibbs tell Tony? Will he turn Tony?” She started to pace the lab and shook her head. “Tony doesn’t believe in us, Ducky. Will he want to be turned? Will he realize what it means?” She became silent and looked up with worry clearly edged onto her face. “Will he survive the change, Ducky? I mean, just how many thousands of years ago was it that the last human mate was turned?” Her legs gave way and she tumbled down onto the floor. “What’s going to happen, Ducky?”

“My dear Abigail.” Ducky went to his knees before her, lifted her up gently and held her to his chest. “I think we need to take it step by step and let Gibbs take the lead on this one. We are talking about his bondmate. As for your first question – yes, I am excited. If there is one vampire that deserves a bondmate then it is Leroy Jethro Gibbs. For the rest of your questions I would suggest we wait and see, but I have a feeling that all will work out.” _‘I hope so,’_ was silently added as he hugged the young vampire again.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Timothy looked up as the donut with sprinkles appeared next to his keyboard. He smiled as Tony walked to his own desk with a pastry in his hand. “What’s this for?” Timothy asked as he picked up the donut and started to de-sprinkle it.

Tony shrugged. “Just thought you’d like something sweet.” He took a bite of his own piece of sweetness and sighed as the burst of flavor filled his mouth. “Mm, so good.” He grinned as Tim rolled his eyes at him and continued to eat his treat. He waited patiently until Timothy finally picked the last sprinkle off before he spoke up again. “It takes you exactly ninety-eight seconds to take every sprinkle off and that tells me McSprinkle, that there are always about the same number of sprinkles on your donut and I also have a feeling that you count them, so just how many are there?” He placed his feet on the desk as he licked his fingers clean.

“You timed me?” McGee frowned and looked at his partner and then at the de-sprinkled donut in his hand.

“Of course I did, why wouldn’t I?” Tony asked with a frown on his face. “But you’re not answering my question.”

Timothy sighed. “Between a hundred and ten to a hundred and fifty.”

“You don’t pick them of one by one, but sometimes in little groups.” Tony took a sip of his large cup of coffee.

“Some of them are so close together it’s just easier to pick them all off at once.” Timothy shrugged. He picked up the donut and took a bite. He was unprepared for the following question.

“How well did you know Nicolas Fleming and did you know him as well as you know Gibbs?” The teasing tone that filled Tony’s voice earlier was no gone.

As Timothy swallowed, he could feel the piece of donut going down the wrong way. He stared coughing immediately as he tried to dislodge the piece of pastry from his throat. He thumped himself hard on his chest, but it didn’t help. He could feel his airway being restricted as he tried to take a breath. Timothy knew he wouldn’t die from it, but just the idea of not being able to breathe made him to panic. As he launched to his feet he was aware of Tony getting to his own feet and as he coughed again, Tony slapped him hard between the shoulder blades, the offending piece of donut finally came loose and he could breathe again. He gulped at the fresh air as he sank back into his chair, his eyes following Tony’s every move. He took the water Tony passed to him and sighed when he finally could breathe freely again. “Thank you,” his voice was gruff.

“Didn’t mean to kill you, Timothy.” Tony sighed. “But I’m still waiting for an answer.” Tony leaned forward in his chair, his attention solely directed at McGee. “I’m waiting.

Timothy gulped. He had no idea what to say. He opened his mouth and felt like a fish on dry land as he had nothing to say and closed his mouth again. He tried to get his mind into a working mode, into a mode where he could say something, something that at least made sense, but he kept on drawing a blank. He tried again, and as he opened his mouth, their captain’s door opened up and he yelled at the two of them, making both detectives to look his way.

“DiNozzo, McGee, another dead body, go and do your thing.” The captain disappeared behind his door again as both of them leapt to their feet.

“Let’s go do our thing, McGee.” Tony grabbed his jacket and headed to the door. McGee sighed in relief. He knew he wasn’t off the hook, but at least now, he had a chance to think about an answer, one that he had no idea where he would find.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_‘My first friend was Dimitri and he was human. He was a street child like me, although a couple of years older. He had black hair, green eyes and could swear like an old hand of the sea. He spoke with a lisp, had a permanent limp from where his father attacked him with the handle of a hammer and the quickest fingers I’ve ever seen. With him by my side we ate well for at least four evenings out of the seven. He also knew how to gamble and was mean with a knife. Not only was he my friend, he was my hero, later on he became my blood-bond before he finally became my mate. It was I who turned him. It was I who made him one of us. It was also I who ended his life.’_

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

“What do you have for me, Cobb?” Trent Kort asked as his agent entered his office.

“He’s a loner, goes to hunt once a week, feeds from the kill and brings the meat home. Keeps his front door unlocked.” Cobb snorted. “Must think he’s superior to humans; that he’s got nothing to fear. Nothing interesting in his house. Found quite a few weapons stashed all over the house, seems to be a bit paranoid in that instance.” He shrugged his shoulders and cleared his throat. “He was married, or mated, before. Even had a bloodsucking kid. A rogue vampire killed both. He served in the Marines a few times during his life and is a trained sniper. “He’s also the lead investigator dealing with a bunch of deaths all up the coast. All of them vampires, but he’s also looking at humans killed at the same time.”

Kort frowned. “How many bodies?” He didn’t need to know how many bloodsuckers died.

Cobb took a seat and stretched out. “Sounds like around seven. He hooked up with a human detective; it looks like they’re working the case together.”

“Who’s the detective? Does he know about those _things_?”

Cobb shook his head and yawned. “Sorry, it’s been a long night. They went out to another scene. Took them ages to finish up. The detective’s name is Antonio D. DiNozzo. Been a cop for the past eight years, clean record. As far as I could see he’s got no formal ties with any of the vamps.” A sneer appeared on his face. “I don’t think he’ll be around for long, unless you want me to _rescue_ him.”

“What the fuck are you talking about, Cobb?” Kort was losing his patience.

“Gibbs follows the detective home each night since I’ve seen them together the first time. He stays in his car until the detective comes out to go for a run and he leaves. If he needs to feed, he does that first and then he goes over, sits and stares.

“He does nothing else?” Trent leaned back in his chair.

“Nothing at all.”

“Good, keep watching Gibbs. Get me more detail on who he’s working with.” He dismissed the agent with a wave of his hand and focused his attention on the computer in front of him. “Let’s see what we can find out about the detective.” He started typing away, not even looking up as Cobb left the office.

Kort leaned back as he scanned the information he obtained on the detective. He was surprised just how little there was. He made a mental note to have someone dig deeper, but for now, the detective had to take a back burner. He picked up his office phone and dialed an extension. “Come to my office.” He returned the receiver, picked up a file in front of him and started to read as he waited for his next appointment.

Kort didn’t have long to wait before the knock on his door sounded and with a curt “Enter,” he waited for Ziva to come in. “What’s going on?” Kort asked and waited for her to respond.

“Frustration is what.” Ziva huffed in annoyance. “He couldn’t give me anything concrete. They – their council, are awaiting signs to guide them to their new _king_. They have one or other sort of prophecy they’re working from. Other than that they’re sitting on their asses.” She snorted. “It’s a wonder that they are still surviving in this day and age.”

“So nothing new then?” Kort played with a pen.

Ziva sighed. “He did mention a possible mate to this Gibbs I’ve mentioned before. But he couldn’t be sure; he was not part of the conversation.”

This piece of information made Kort sit up straight. “Did he mention a name?”

“No,” Ziva shook her head. “Just said it was a human from what he heard.”

“Find me more information on this possible mate and I NEED more information on this _Tatell_ of theirs. You are being paid plenty, Miss David; it’s time that you start delivering.” He dismissed her with a nod of his head.

Ziva couldn’t help but to bristle with anger as she left the office. She hated dealing with her director. The man thought very little of women and it was clear that he thought her work inadequate. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had to take a few days to set up for the next vampire on her list. It was time she got answers.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Screams filled the air that made the birds flee from the trees while the rest of the night insects quieted down. It became eerie still as the screams finally died down. Footsteps died in the distance of the alley where the young prostitute took her last breath as the rats came out to investigate the pools of blood that decorated the scene. Soon they started nibbling on the still warm flesh as the nightlife in the city continued around them.

A mile away, a lone figure jogged slowly before he came to a halt. He swiped his mouth with the back of his hand turned to look at the darkened smear the coated it and then licked it clean. He didn’t stop until he made sure his hand was clean of the blood. He licked the palm of his hand wet and dragged it over his face. He smirked as he saw the slight pink tint to it and licked that clean as well. Satisfied that his mouth, and his hand was clean he looked down at his clothes. “Ruined,” he mumbled as he started stripping. His sneakers, sweatpants and sweat top all covered with the same dark substance that he had on his mouth. He bundled the clothes up and held it against his face taking a deep breath. “So good.” He grinned and in the moonlight, the elongated incisors on the top and bottom row of his teeth were visible. He walked to the nearest trash bin and dumped the sneakers into them. He still held onto the rest of his clothes as he made his way over to where he parked a stolen car. Dressed in only a pair of shorts and a thin t-shirt he got into the car and drove off. On the way to his next destination, he first got rid of the trousers and later of the top, but not before sniffing both items thoroughly, just to inhale that lovely coppery tang of human blood again.

The man neared the hidey-hole and reached for the burn phone that was on the seat next to him. He pressed the call button and waited for an answer. His accent was heavy, but he spoke perfectly English. “Did you get it done?”

The snort was clearly audible over the handset before the reply came through. _“It’s done. It was a lovely meal.”_ The man on the other side also spoke with an accent. _“Are you on your way here?”_

“I’ll be there in a few minutes. Have you packed?”

 _“No, I must show you something, and before you start bitching - you’ll like it.”_ The second man ended the call.

“Fucking prick.” He said with a smile, tossed the phone to the side and stepped on the gas. The sooner they got out of there the better. They had still many humans and vampires to kill. They had a job to do.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

“You sure this is not an animal attack, Detective DiNozzo? It sure looks like one to me.” The patrol officer spoke up as he hunkered next to Tony who was looking at the body before him.

Tony sighed and then with a gloved hand indicated to the marks clearly visible on the young woman’s arm. “Unless an animal has hands and fingers, I would say our killer is human.” The purple finger indentations in the skin were a stark contrast to the white, almost translucent skin beneath them.

“But what about that?” The patrol officer pointed at the victim’s neck. Her throat clearly ripped out.

“The ME will determine what was used to cause that damage. Tony got to his feet and peeled the gloves from his hands.

“I still think animal control should be involved.” The young cop sounded as if he was sulking.

Tony’s patience was at an end. He growled. “And what would you say to them, Officer McCarthy? Would you tell them we’re looking for a large animal, capable of ripping out a woman’s throat? Just be sure to include in your report that the fucking animal has hands and feet.” He dragged the officer over to where the bloody prints of sneakers were clearly visible. They led from the body and disappeared when the blood that covered the bottom of the soles finally worked itself off. He let go of the officer’s arm and turned around looking for his partner. He ignored the officer as he made his way over to his car.

Tony grabbed his phone where he left it on the dash and scrolled until he found Tim’s number. He couldn’t believe that the younger man was not yet here at the crime scene. He’d phoned him personally when the call came through. “McGee,” Tony sighed as he realized he was talking to his voice mail. “I don’t know where you are, but you better get our ass over here ASAP.” Tony ended the call and pushed the phone down his front pocket. His shoulders sagged as he sighed. “What a fuck up.” He spoke to himself and made his way back to the scene. He looked around and quickly made his way over when he realized Doctor Mallard was kneeling next to the body.

Ducky looked up as he heard the familiar footsteps of Detective DiNozzo. “There you are, Anthony. Sorry that I am a bit late, traffic was really bad.” He looked back at the victim. “She could not have been older than twenty-two.”

Tony frowned. He hadn’t contacted Doctor Mallard. As far as he knew the local ME was contacted for the scene. “Eighteen according to her driver’s license.” Tony took a deep breath. “Why are you here, Doctor Mallard?”

“I was called out to the scene.” Ducky responded as he took out a liver probe to check for time of death.

“Who called you?” Tony frowned.

Ducky looked up. “Your dispatch did, Anthony. Who else would have?” Ducky looked around. “I thought Gibbs would have been here by now. It is not like him to be late.”

Tony wanted to scream out of frustration. He had no idea who at dispatch had decided to call _this_ ME, but he would find out. “I don’t think it is necessary for you to be here, Ducky. This is not part of the joint investigation.”

Before Ducky could answer, a voice spoke from behind. “And why do you say that, DiNozzo?” Gibbs stood there with a cup of coffee in one hand, his head cocked to the side as he looked at the younger man.

Tony barely managed not to jump as Gibbs spoke behind him. He turned around and looked at the older man. “Because not all deaths are caused by _your_ killers, Gibbs.”

“True, but this one is.” Gibbs indicated to the deceased before he donned a pair of gloves and bent down next to Ducky. “What do you have for me, Duck?”

Tony wanted to yell out of frustration. He hated the way _this_ agent could waltz onto his crime scene and just take over. Before he could speak, he saw McGee running towards him and he turned to meet with him halfway. “Where the hell have you been, McGee?” He seethed with anger.

“I’m sorry, Tony, but my phone’s battery died just after I talked with you earlier. I think there’s a problem with the charger as I did place it on charge last night. I was stuck in a massive pile up on the main highway. I’m really sorry.”

Remembering what Doctor Mallard said, Tony nodded his head. “Okay, let’s get to work.” He took out a small evidence bag and handed it over to Tim. “According to her ID, Vanessa Dumont was eighteen years of age and had her license for a full four months. Find out what you can about her, including next of kin.” His eyes landed on Gibbs and Ducky over at the body. “Why the hell are they here? It’s not one of their victims.” He didn’t wait for Tim to respond but walked toward them.

Timothy sighed. He had been avoiding Tony for the past seventy-two hours, knowing that if Tony got the chance to corner him, he’d have to explain how he knew Fleming and for that matter Gibbs. Luck had been on his side the past three days, but he was sure it was not going to last any longer. The problem was he still had no idea how to answer his partner – not without telling him what really was going on. He should talk to Gibbs; they had to tell Tony what was going on.

Seeing that Gibbs was talking to Doctor Mallard and Timothy was shooting the scene, Tony decided to look around. He already noted that once the blood dried from underneath the killer’s shoes the ease of tracking disappeared as well, but perhaps there would be other signs he could use which might lead him to this killer. He still couldn’t believe that _this_ murder was also part of Gibbs’ case, but he also knew the agent had no reason to lie about something like this.

Tony indicated with his finger that he was taking a walk and when Timothy nodded in response, he set off. It was easy to follow the blood stained tracks, but not even half a block further the blood trail stopped. Tony hunched down and looked at the area around him. This side of town had a more of a gravel road consistency as it was closer to the river, so the surface was not as hard as the normal tarred road and he could make out the faint indentations of a heel every few steps. It looked like their killer walked with a limp, his weight not evenly distributed.

The area was deserted, torn down warehouses lined both sides of the street, more glass lining the sidewalk than anything else. Although it was already after eight in the morning, there were no cars or people in the area. Tony was aware that this place was only active at night. He already knew that canvassing the area for possible witnesses would, in all likelihood, be a waste of time. He knelt down again, looking for a possible clue, when he became aware of movement behind him. Tony tried to turn, but he was too slow. The man barreled into his side, Tony’s eyes caught sight of the knife in his hand as he turned to throw his attacker clear of him. The man was at least double his weight and had about six inches on his height. He was one solid brick of muscles as he collided with Tony, sending both of them sprawling out on the ground.

Tony reached for the knife, knowing that he had to disarm the man, or be stabbed with the weapon. He tried to maneuver himself sideways, but it was as if his attacker knew his moves. The man moved with him and pinned him down hard. Tony looked on as he raised the knife. With the last strength left in him, Tony reached for his weapon. He normally used a shoulder holster, but this morning he had pinned the holster to his belt, and he wanted to scream out in frustration as his fingers slipped from the grip of the Sig, and he had to try again.

Tony managed an uppercut, the man’s chin snapping back with the force behind the hit but he didn’t release the hold he had over Tony. The large hand without the knife snaked towards Tony’s neck, either to rob him of his oxygen or to snap it like a twig. Tony had a suspicion that the hulk of a man didn’t care which way. The knife still inched closer as Tony tried to grab hold of his weapon again. Then everything happened at the same time.

Tony’s fingers closed around the butt of the weapon and he pulled it free of the holster as at the same time the man’s extra-large hand closed around his throat. The man’s total weight was on top of him and he raised the knife into the air and lunged downward. The battle stopped when a shot sounded. The man jerked to the side, his hold over the knife slipped, and he keeled to the side. Tony managed to shove the man off him, but even as he tried to pull off a second shot, the knife that remained in the man’s hand came down, Tony screamed as the knife embedded into his side.

Tony’s finger curled around the trigger as the man moved away. He was seeing double, his vision blurred from the pain, but he didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger repeatedly. He was aware of the fact that his attacker stumbled but still moved away. Tony tried to move, to get a better angle to shoot from, but his body refused to cooperate. He could feel the blood pooling beneath him and as he lost his grip on his weapon, he pressed his hand over the bleeding wound. “Fuck,” he hissed in pain. He was nauseous, his vision blurred and he tried to reach for his phone. He had to get backup. They had to find the man before he got away. Tony fumbled, the phone slippery from the blood on his hand. He kept his right hand around the entry wound, the knife still implanted into his flesh. His left hand trembled as he finally got hold of his phone, he was about to call for help when he heard his name being called. With difficulty, Tony turned his head, his vision threatening to slip away. He could see the fuzzy outline of two figures rushing towards him. He was certain the one was Timothy. The other looked like Gibbs. But it couldn’t be. Gibbs had no reason to come to his aid. He tried to speak but words escaped as he tumbled down into darkness, leaving two very anxious vampires behind.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs kept on looking over his shoulder in the direction where Tony disappeared. His gut turned and he honed in on Tony’s heartbeat. As his future mate, it was even easier to distinguish Tony’s heartbeat from the many others as a normal vampire could do. He knew that when they mated, Tony would not only have the same ability, but that the both of them would be able to distinguish each other’s heartbeat from thousands of others. He could hear that Tony was walking slowly and he knew as an investigator, Tony must’ve been looking for possible clues. He could picture Tony kneeling down to look at the ground and then walking on.

Then something changed. Tony’s heart rate sped up at an alarming speed. Gibbs saw as Tim’s head snapped around. He knew as working partners and friends the vampire next to him was on a subconscious level connected with Tony’s heartbeat because he couldn’t keep an eye on him. Gibbs started to move in Tony’s direction and when he found himself growling, he started to run. Tony was in distress and as he heard the shot going off he was at full speed. Timothy matched him step for step as they homed in to where Tony was. Tony screamed and Gibbs’ senses filled with the blood of his mate. He could feel his fangs lengthen as he yelled out Tony’s name. He saw the man stumbling away from Tony, could smell the second man’s blood as clearly as his mate, but he blocked it out. Tony came first. “Get him.” Gibbs barked the order and knelt next to his future mate. He had to take a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down so that his fangs could retract. He quickly found the source of blood at Tony’s side. An evil looking knife protruded from Tony’s side. “Help’s on its way,” Gibbs placed his hand over Tony’s in an attempt to stem the blood that oozed through Tony’s fingers and coated his own hand red. “Stay with me, Tony. Help is on its way.” Gibbs could do nothing as Tony’s eyes rolled over. He didn’t need to feel for a pulse; Tony’s heartbeat was still audible in his ears. He was aware of Ducky arriving next to him. Timothy was still chasing the unknown attacker, but Gibbs couldn’t care. Tony had to survive. He couldn’t lose him, not before he even had the chance to make him his.

Ducky kneeled next to Gibbs but didn’t place his hands on the bleeding man. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help, but he first had to make sure it was all right with Jethro. Being so close to his future mate, not having the chance to have bonded with the younger man would mean Jethro might go into what was referred to as _blood frenzy_. That occurred when a vampire could attack any other of its kind without hesitation when the blood of a human mate, which was not yet shared with its bondmate, was released in the air. That blood, that pure essence of a mate belonged to a bondmate only. It was the bondmate’s to smell first, to taste first, to get to know his mate on a molecule level before any other member of their species. That was the main reason that when a human was turned, the first blood it tasted was from the bondmate. It brought life to the newly turned. It completed their bond. “Jethro?” He asked carefully, his voice filled with worry. “Can I be of assistance, please? Let me help Anthony, Jethro. Let me help your mate.”

For a moment, Gibbs wanted to shake his head, deny Ducky his request to help his mate, but the blood continued to seep through his hand around the wound and he found himself nodding in response.

Ducky sighed at the nod and gently moved forward. He kept his voice low as he started to assess Tony’s condition, explaining to Gibbs each little thing that he was doing. “I need something to stem this bleeding,” Ducky moved away to remove his jacket when Gibbs handed him his shirt. “This will do nicely.” Ducky used the shirt to tie it around the side wound to keep the knife stable, but also to see if they could get the blood to stop flowing so freely from the wound.

Gibbs remained silent, his hand clutched around Tony’s as he tried to even out his breathing. Tony’s blood was intoxicating to him, he wanted nothing than to lean forward and taste it for himself. But the blood was too much, he would not only lick the blood from Tony’s skin but he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from sinking his fangs into Tony’s flesh to feed directly from the source. And there lay the problem – Gibbs had no idea if he would be able to stop if he started. He focused on his mate’s face. Tony’s eyes were closed, his skin an ash grey from the blood loss, but he was breathing easily, although his pulse was a bit weak and his heart rate fast. “Where the hell are the EMTs?” He snapped, not hearing a siren approaching from any direction.

“On their way, Gibbs.” Timothy appeared next to him but still a few feet back. He could smell Tony’s blood and he didn’t think it was a good idea to get any closer.

“Did you get the bastard, McGee?” Gibbs turned his head to look at the younger vampire.

McGee sighed. “He’s dead. Bled out around the corner. One of Tony’s shots hit an artery in his thigh.”

Gibbs couldn’t say he felt sorry for the man. “Any form of identity on him?”

“Nothing, no ID, no wallet.” He looked up at Ducky. “His blood smelled clean, he was no drug addict.” Being a vampire meant they could smell drugs in the blood of humans, especially if the humans were addicted to it.

Ducky nodded his head. “I’ll make sure I get him on my table. Maybe we can learn from where he came.”

Timothy cocked his head. “You’re not convinced this was something random?”

“Look around you, Timothy. Do you see any drug paraphernalia or used condoms lying around? This place is normally deprived of people. Just what would the chance then be for someone to be here and just happen to stumble across Tony and then decide to kill him? Because, I’m sure this was not a robbery.”

Gibbs grunted in agreement and his shoulders sagged as they finally could hear the sirens approaching in the distance. “See if you can find out the bastard’s identity, Timothy and let your Captain know what happened here.” Gibbs got to his feet as the ambulance pulled up next to them. “Meet me later at the hospital and tell me what you found out.” He stood to the side as Ducky explained to the EMTs what happened. He looked on in silence as they loaded Tony into the back, but before the EMT could close the door, Gibbs hopped inside. He was grateful for the fact that the EMT didn’t say a word as they sped off. Gibbs took Tony’s hand in his and held it close. He looked on as the paramedic continued to work on his future mate. The man frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“He’s going into shock.” The EMT looked up to his partner behind the wheel. “Step on it, Steve.” His movements became more rushed and Gibbs found himself praying - praying that his mate would make it, praying that they would have a future together.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

“It didn’t work. He’s still alive.” Gunter, the killer of the prostitute spoke up while they watched from the shadows as the ambulance sped off. They came back after his partner; Olaf showed him an article of a human cop and stated he had an idea. He still didn’t understand it all, but here they were.

“I know.” His partner grinned and turned as his fangs extended. “That was the whole idea.”

“I thought you were scared that this human would come too close to us, that you wanted him dead?” Gunter spoke up again.

“True, but I love playing with my food.” Olaf replied. “And if I really wanted him dead, I would’ve done it myself, not hire some dead weight idiot like that.” He looked over to where Tony’s attacker laid sprawled out on the ground.

“Why? It’s not part of the game plan.” Olaf rolled his eyes. “We were sent here by _our_ Council to create havoc between humans and those who call themselves vampires on this side of the ocean.” He sneered. “Both of us know that _these things_ that call themselves vampires are nothing like us. They’ve become soft. They don’t hunt any longer, instead they ask for permission instead of taking what belongs to them, us. We’re on the top of the food chain; we don’t need permission from humans to take their blood. They are our prey, they must run and we must hunt – it’s how things are supposed to be.”

“I still don’t understand.” Gunter hissed and bared his fangs as the hard fist made contact with his chin.

“No one is noticing the ones we kill, we need more exposure. These _vampires_ should start realizing that we’re hunting them. They should become aware of their surroundings again – become tough. While the prey, well, they must become afraid. They should realize that there’s something out there that can take them down. They must have no idea from where we will strike next, just live in fear, becoming what they were destined to become – our food.”

“And how are you going to achieve all this with one lousy human cop?” Gunter sounded unconvinced.

“By giving him more exposure, making him seem larger than life and then when he’s seen as a hero, taking him down and for no other reason than because we can. At the same time those who know of us, including the human governments will turn on their counterparts. When they start to distrust one another it will be too late and these vampires will be seen as animals and our council can sweep in, clear up all the mess and in payment for keeping _order_ we’ll let the authorities turn a blind eye as we feast on fresh prey.” Olaf grinned, his fangs almost glistering in the morning sun.

Gunter grinned. “Brilliant.” He yawned. “Speaking of food, let’s go and eat, that little whore just made me hungry for more.” He licked his lips.

Olaf grinned. “I know just the place to go.” He took out his phone and made a single call to the local news agency, explaining what he’d seen, knowing that they would not hesitate to follow it up. By tomorrow morning, Detective DiNozzo would be in the news and by the end of the week he’d be headline news. By this time next week – his name would appear in the obituaries and he would be back in his homeland, receiving praise for what he’d done.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs paced the ER waiting area, scowling at anyone who would dare to look his way. It had been more than an hour and still no word on his future mate’s condition. He’d tried more than once to get information, but the nurse on duty was a vampire like himself and he didn’t intimidate her at all. Instead, she made sure that if he didn’t calm down she would have security escort him from the premises. She didn’t care who he was, this was her hospital and here she ruled.

Gibbs became aware of a familiar scent and looked up as Ducky strolled in his direction. Behind him, he could see McGee approaching as well. He walked towards the two men. “McGee?” He asked as the young detective reached them.

“I’ve identified the perp as a John Baily. He was a lowlife, with priors for almost anything you could think of. He did time on more than one occasion. The last time ended only two weeks ago - he was paroled. Already spoke to his parole officer, Baily failed to come and see him after their initial meeting. They were looking to pick him up again.” McGee sighed. “I will have to go and dig deeper, but at this stage I don’t know what he was doing in that area. I’ve been unable to link him to that area.” He looked at Ducky before he continued. “We also found five-hundred dollars stuff down the front of his pants, so you were right, Gibbs, this was not a robbery attempt.”

Gibbs stared into nothingness. His mind was turning and turning as he went through all the possible options as to why this perp would target DiNozzo. Nothing made sense. “Tony never locked this guy up for something?”

“Still have to go through a lot of files, but at this stage there doesn’t seem to be any connection between Baily and Tony.” McGee answered quickly.

Gibbs wanted to reply when a doctor clothed in scrubs and covered in DiNozzo’s blood entered the waiting room. He was a human and before he could speak up, Gibbs was standing before him, badge in his hand. “How is Detective DiNozzo doing?”

The doctor looked at the ID and badge again before he spoke up. “Detective DiNozzo is stable. We’ve managed to extract the knife and repair the damage. Thankfully, there was no injury to any major organ or artery. I’m going to keep him for a couple of days just to be on the safe side, and to keep an eye on his blood pressure which went a bit low due to the shock, but other than that, he’s doing well.”

“When can we see him?” Ducky asked first and stuck out his hand in greeting. “Doctor Mallard, ME.”

“He’s still in recovery, Doctor Mallard, but I will let a nurse come and fetch you the moment he’s settled into his room.” The doctor looked at the men before him. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got other patients to attend to.”

“Thank you, Doctor, and thank you for what you’ve done for young Anthony.” Ducky replied as McGee nodded in agreement and Gibbs grunted.

Gibbs spoke up as the doctor moved away from them. “Make sure to get a look at DiNozzo’s medical chart, Ducky.” He knew the doctor would not hide something from them, but his protective streak was dominant and he had to make sure his bondmate was going to be okay. He turned and looked at McGee. “Go and see if you can find a connection between this Baily and DiNozzo. Keep me in the loop; I’ll make sure your Captain knows that I need to be informed.” He didn’t wait for a reply from any of the men; instead, he made his way over to the nurses’ station again. It was time he saw his mate again; the sooner the better, and this time he wasn’t taking no for an answer.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Jonas Cobb frowned as he leaned against his car across from the hospital and waited for Gibbs to exit. The vampire had been cooped up in there for almost eight hours. He’d seen the medical examiner, together with the other detective come and go. He’d spotted a Goth looking girl going in and out and according to the files he gathered her name was Abigail Scuito and she was the niece to Gibbs. It also meant she was a vampire, just like the rest of them. Cobb sighed and fingered his phone. Finally, he pressed the last number he dialed and waited for an answer.

“Someone attacked the detective working with the vampire.” He said the moment the line was answered.

 _“How?”_ Trent Kort asked as he sat up straight in his chair.

“Attacked with a knife. He killed the perp. Press got hold of it as well, they’re being kept outside by hospital security.”

_“Gibbs?”_

“Camped out here since he arrived with the ambulance over eight hours ago.” Cobb reported and then continued. “I don’t understand why. I could find nothing else to disprove the fact that DiNozzo has not met Gibbs before this case. I was able to confirm the common link he has with this Abigail Sciuto in that he’s friends with her and Timothy McGee is his junior partner who’s also friends with Sciuto.”

 _“Mmm,”_ Kort took a sip of his drink. _“Stay on Gibbs. See if you can find out what’s going on between them and keep me up to date.”_ He ended the call.

Cobb tossed the phone back into his car and stretched out. It seemed like it was going to be a long night, unless Gibbs came out soon, but something told him that that was not going to be the case. He got into the car, rummaged through a bunch of fake IDs’ and pinned the one he was looking for onto his chest. He made sure his hair was flat and his tie straight before he got out of the car and made his way over to the entrance of the ER unit. He got in with little difficulty and made his way over to the nurse’s station. The bitch behind the counter gave him some grief, but he finally got what he wanted and made his way over to the stairs. It was time he had a closer look at this Detective DiNozzo and find out why Gibbs was so interested in the human being.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_‘Soon enough, I was out of my teenage years and out of those so called fledgling years. That was when I reached my fiftieth year. I can still remember rolling my eyes at the term, but it was a term that described young vampires perfectly. You see, since it’s possible for us to live forever and a day, but we are very cocky. I would say we’re born like that. The first time you beat death you get an adrenaline rush that lasts you for weeks, and then you want more. You want to see what you can do next, what leap you can take, just how you can go about to cheat death again. One word fits this behavior of us to a T – recklessness. And it doesn’t matter that we live to be thousands of years old, we are not immortal, we can be killed and until we realize that, until we’re no longer inexperienced or green we are still children – fledglings.’_

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Kort stared at the eons old journal in front of him. It didn’t matter what he thought, or in whichever way he tried to figure out things, it always came back to this script. One, he realized, was even more important than what he had initially thought. Eyes not moving, he took in the text even though it was long committed to memory. _‘And from the North two lines will appear; the first – seventh time worthy and hailed by the King. The other pure; untainted and unfamiliar to what danger lurks, but still worthy to rule and the two will meet side by side and when the moon is at its bloodiest they will fight for light.’_

He picked up his phone and dialed a number. “We need to figure out what this certain part of the prophecy means. If we don’t, we’ll not get ahead of those bloodsuckers.” He sighed. “I know that, Jen, but it’s becoming more important every day. Let one of your minions check it out and have them do it quickly. He rambled off the part. “We need to find out more about the pure and untainted part. Does it mean a virgin sacrifice, or what?” He sighed and ended the call. On some days, he had no idea why he had a partner; it was not as if Jenny Shepard did anything remotely important – except screwing; or being screwed by David. A smirk appeared on his face. He would like to see that, but not one of those bitches would let him watch.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Tony frowned as he opened his eyes and saw Agent Gibbs seated on the chair next to his bed. It looked like the man was staring right through him. “You don’t need to be here, Agent Gibbs.”

Gibbs cocked his head. “And who else would be here? Why don’t you have an emergency contact in your file?” He sounded perplexed.

For a moment, Tony was taken aback by the question. He frowned and shook his head. Before he could respond, Gibbs spoke up again.

“You can list me if you want to; I know how dangerous your job can be. You need someone to be able to make choices for you if you’re not in a position to do so yourself.” Gibbs continued. He couldn’t believe what he said, but he meant it. He wanted to be Tony’s medical proxy. He had to be Tony’s medical proxy.

“I don’t need someone to make decisions on my behalf. There’s a note on my file.” Tony didn’t add what the note said; it had nothing to do with the special agent.

Gibbs frowned. “What kind of note?” He didn’t even want to think of it. If Tony had a DNR note in his medical file, he had to get it off. Until Tony was ready to be turned, to become his bondmate, he needed to stay alive.

Tony closed his eyes. The pain was starting to creep up on him and he swallowed hard. “It’s got nothing to do with you.” He closed his eyes, but opened them up when a hand covered his. He looked down and frowned.

“They’ve given you a morphine pump.” Gibbs closed Tony’s hand around the small device. “Use it.” He removed his hand and immediately missed the warmth that radiated from Tony’s skin. He smiled when Tony’s thumb curled around the button at the top. He could see the exact moment the medication kicked in and Tony relaxed. “Get some rest.” He didn’t add that he’d be there when Tony woke up, but sat back and looked on as Tony’s eyes closed and he fell asleep again. “I will not let you die, Tony. I will not.”

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

“Is there a DNR note in Tony’s medical files, Ducky?” Gibbs asked the following morning as he met his elder outside Tony’s hospital room.

Ducky looked taken aback, but he recovered quickly. “I am sorry, Jethro. I cannot discuss that with you.”

“And why the hell not, Ducky?” Gibbs asked in anger.

“Because it is privileged information, Jethro.” Ducky explained calmly as he tried to sidestep the other vampire to get into Tony’s room.

“You know what he is to me, Ducky. You can’t hold such information away from me.” Gibbs growled.

“And just what is he to you, Jethro?” Ducky asked as he crossed his arms in front of him.

“What the hell, Ducky? He’s my future bondmate, you know that.”

“Emphasis on the word _future_ , Jethro. He is nothing to you – yet, and neither are you to him. So, until such time, I cannot divulge that kind of information, please understand.” Ducky pushed past the seething vampire and stepped into Tony’s room, ending their conversation.

Gibbs couldn’t believe his ears. Ducky had never done something like this before, but then he’d never asked Ducky about any privileged information in any patient’s file. Gibbs lowered his head. He’d placed Ducky in a very compromising situation, one that he shouldn’t have. Gibbs looked up and saw Ducky quietly talking to Tony before both man and vampire looked up and saw him staring at them. Gibbs turned away as Ducky reached the door and closed it with a soft click. Gibbs sighed. “Time to start groveling,” he mumbled to himself as he made his way to the elevators to go and look for a nice cup of English tea for Ducky. Hopefully, the tea would be seen as the small peace offering he intend it to be.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Tony could see the two men talking just outside his room, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying, both were talking extremely softly. However, observing their body language he was sure it had something to do with him. When the medical examiner came in and Agent Gibbs remained behind, he had a feeling that Ducky had won.

“Good morning, Anthony.” Ducky greeted friendly as he picked up the chart that the nurse left and the foot end of the bed. He opened it up and was happy to note that it seemed Tony had a peaceful night and that the fever he had post-op was something of the past. “How are you feeling?”

At first, Tony wanted to ask what they were talking about, but then he decided to let it go. “Sore, but okay.” He looked up and saw Gibbs staring at them. Tony was grateful when Ducky walked around and closed the door, leaving Gibbs on the outside.

“I expect you to be sore for several days, young man. That was quite a risk you took, but then I have a feeling you are going to tell me ‘it is all part of the job’.” Ducky smiled.

“What can I say?” Tony replied with an easy grin.

Ducky cleared his throat. “I have a confession to make, Anthony.” He placed the chart back where belonged and took to the seat previously occupied by Gibbs. He lowered his head, took a deep breath and then spoke. “Yesterday morning when you were brought in, we were all very concerned about you. Especially when the medical personnel were not forthcoming with information on your status. I then managed to pursue one of the junior nursing staff saying that I was your personal physician and they had to grant me immediate access to your files as well as sporadic updates on how you were doing. In order for me to continue with this ruse, I had a letter drawn up to confirm the appointment of myself as your primary doctor. I do apologize for this behavior.”

“Did you share any of the information you saw in my files with anyone else, Doctor Mallard?”

Ducky shook his head. “No, Anthony. I would never do something like that.”

“Gibbs asked you about the DNR note on my file.” He made it a statement of fact.

“He did indeed, and I told him I could not share that information with him since it is privileged.” Ducky looked up to meet Tony’s gaze. “But I do have to ask, why?” He held up his hand, as Tony wanted to reply. “I know you have got such a right, but that is something one should take very seriously. You are still young; I simply cannot see why you would choose such an option.”

“I know it’s a very serious decision, and I promise you Ducky, I thought very long and very hard about it, before I finally reached that decision. The short of it – I’m alone, Ducky. Why would I become a burden to anyone should they manage to bring me back to life but I’m brain damaged? What purpose would it serve? It’s just better that way.” Tony turned his head away, making sure Ducky knew this topic of discussion was over.

Ducky remained silent. He had no idea what to say. He had never heard such anguish in a man’s voice when he said he was alone. Ducky wanted to tell him that he was not; that there was a whole coven of vampires, who Tony could call family, but he could not. It was not his place or his duty to do so. “I understand.” Ducky cleared his throat. “I better get going. Please take it easy young Anthony; I hope to speak to you again soon.” He stood up to leave.

“As my primary physician, can you tell me how long I still need to be in this place?” Tony asked with a grin.

Ducky smiled in return. “At least another two to three days according to your surgeon, and I have to concur with him. So, take it easy, enjoy these few days of rest and get better.” He patted Tony’s knee through the sheet that covered his legs. “I know Timothy and Abigail also wanted to come and visit, so you’ve got something to look forward too.” He looked Tony in the eyes. “And use that pain pump of yours, no need to be a hero in here, you already are one.” He exited the room with a smile.

Tony pressed the button and sighed as the pain-relieving drug entered his bloodstream. He couldn’t help but to like Ducky and he had to say that although Gibbs pissed him off, he still enjoyed his silent company. All during the night, Gibbs was at his side, making sure to feed him ice shards for his thirst, or cooling him down when his fever raged through his body. No one had ever done something as simple as that for him and it felt nice. Tony shook his head as his eyes closed shut. He could not get used to it; he was alone. He needed to remember that.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Jonas Cobb came out of his hiding place when the ME finally left. He was nearly caught when he turned the corner and saw the two bloodsuckers stood there clearly arguing. Unfortunately, he didn’t catch the whole disagreement between them, but he’d heard enough. It seemed like the cop was Gibbs’ potential bondmate. An evil grin appeared on Cobb’s face. There were so many possibilities that could work in their favor. He had to share the news with Kort; he knew his boss would be impressed.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

“That cop is on the news,” Gunter wiped his mouth on his sleeve, the bright red smudge staining the already dirtied shirt before pushing the body away from him. It landed with a thud on the wooden floor, but he didn’t look at it again. His attention was on the TV.

“What are they saying?” Olaf yelled as he finished up in the bathroom. He walked out, still zipping up and stepped over the body to take a seat on the old sofa.

“That he was attending a homicide investigation when he was attacked, saying he did really good to not end up getting killed.” Gunter snorted. “You sure you want to do this?”

“Positive.” Olaf’s eyes turned a bloody red. He noticed the body on the floor for the first time. “Stop playing with your food, what are you, forty?” He kicked at the body and then stood up again. “My turn tonight, get rid of that and properly this time, Gunter.”

“You’re not my Sire,” Gunter grumbled but at the same time, he got to his feet and flung the dead weight over his shoulder.

“Luckily not, I would’ve killed you when you were still a fledgling.” Olaf grunted. He picked up the keys to the car and headed out. It was time to start making the powers that be nervous.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Special Agency: 24 hours later**

Tom Morrow paced the office, worry clearly edged on his face. He turned around when the door behind him opened. “We’ve got barrels full of shit coming down the river, Ducky and we’ve got no way to stop them.” He sighed and threw the paper onto the polished table. “I gathered you’ve seen it?”

“I have. When are they meeting?” Ducky sounded troubled.

“Tonight, as soon as I can get hold of Henderson.” Tom looked at the ME. “This is bad, Ducky, really bad. I had to field calls from all over already this morning. I’ve managed to delay meeting with the White House, but for how long, I can’t say.”

“Did you speak to Jethro?” Ducky picked up the newspaper and read the article again.

“He’s already at the scene.” Tom shook his head. “He wants to tell DiNozzo.”

Ducky cocked his head. “We know this, Jethro informed you already.”

Tom shook his head. “No, he wants to tell him about all of it. About the different clans, about the tension between us and the European clans.”

Ducky nodded his head. “You do not think it is a good idea? You know that boy has put so many things together all ready, and with him being Jethro’s future mate, it will just make things easier, especially when it comes to the political side of things.” Ducky looked at his friend. “What are you not telling me?”

“Nothing, Ducky. Gibbs just made a comment that got me thinking.”

“Are you thinking that this,” Ducky pointed to the newspaper article, “That this has something to do with the different clans?”

“At first I did not, but think about it, Ducky. First, we thought we had one serial killer on the loose, now it turns out there’s a possibility of three. Two of them are hunting us and slaughtering humans, and they are clearly vampires. The third who is a human, is hunting only vampires. And between all of this, those smug bastards across the sea are eerily quiet about all of this. Since when have they ever been quiet about something like this? Normally they would’ve been coming down our heads so fast, pointing out that we can’t keep our clan in check and it was time that we return to their rule. They are up to something, Ducky, I just don’t know what.” Tom sounded tired.

Ducky sat quietly in his chair, thinking things through. “I think you’re right, Tom. On that basis alone, I would urge you to call a council meeting tonight, maybe even a clan meeting. The sooner the better.”

Tom nodded in agreement. “Let’s hold the council meeting tonight. We’ll discuss everything there. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Ducky. I still have a wayward Henderson to locate.” He dismissed the ME and reached for his phone again. He couldn’t understand why Henderson wasn’t answering his phone - the Elder was always available, it was not like him to be unavailable. After trying for the fifth time, Tom gave up. He started phoning the rest of the council, informing them of the meeting and told each one of them that whoever gets hold of Henderson should inform him of the meeting as well. Tom ended the last call and leaned back in his chair. Today was going to be a nightmare.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

“I’m not an invalid, McNurse.” Tony grumbled as his partner fluffed the pillows behind his back for the umpteenth time.

“I’m just trying to help, Tony.” Tim said quietly.

“Well then help me get out of this place. We’ve got work to do.” He didn’t need to mention the six dead bodies that were found near the docks. This time around, he knew it formed part of the joint investigation. What made him roll his eyes was the fact that the news anchor stated that it seemed to be some sort of animal attack according to their police contact. Tony didn’t need to hear whom they spoke to, he knew it was Officer McCarthy, and when he got hold of the man, he would be doing street patrols until the day he retired.

“You heard Ducky, Tony, not until tomorrow.” Tim answered as he looked over to the TV that hung from the wall to the side of the room. Six bodies, all of them young woman. The Police Commissioner already vowed to bring the monsters responsible for this down.

Tony turned his attention to the television set and turned up the volume when the Commissioner appeared. Both human and vampire listened attentively to what their boss had to say. _“I therefore order that every police officer in the employment of the city of Washington D.C. to return to their desks. All leave days have been cancelled. This police department will not rest until the person or persons responsible for this massacre are behind bars.”_

Tony managed to sit up in bed even before Timothy could turn to face him. “There, you’ve heard it from the Commissioner, himself. Let’s get out of here.”

Timothy wanted to argue when Tony’s phone rang.

“Captain,” Tony answered, looking at Tim. “Yes, Sir, I can stand and I can walk. I am quite able to do my work.” He nodded his head. “Yes, Sir. McGee is here with me. We’ll be there in twenty minutes.” Tony ended the call. “Are you going to pass me my clothes or what?”

Timothy shook his head. “They do realize that less than forty-eight hours ago you were nearly killed?”

“They do, McGee, but I am alive and I can do my work, so lets’ get going.” He got himself up from the bed and groaned as the stitches pulled. It was going to be difficult, but he was going to do it. It was his duty.

McGee shook his head. They had no choice but to follow orders, but Gibbs was so going to have his head if something happened to Tony. The older vampire was very protective about his future mate and had given him strict orders to make sure Tony looked after himself. “Just promise me one thing, Tony - we’ll go to the precinct and work from there. No going on raids in the street to see whom we can bust to get answers. Let’s leave that up to those who can at least walk straight.”

Tony immediately squared his shoulders and tried to walk straight. It hurt, but he couldn’t let Timothy see that. “I can’t promise you that, Tim, and you know that.” He managed to get himself to the small bathroom to clean up before heading out. He frowned as he closed the door. He could’ve sworn he heard Tim mumble that Gibbs was going to kill him. He had no idea why Gibbs would do something like that, so he left it as was. He had in any event, more important things to concentrate on such as finding those bastards who killed those people.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs frowned when he saw McGee and Tony walking towards him. He didn’t need to have perfect sight to see that Tony was walking with difficulty. “What the hell are you doing here?” He snapped the moment they came to a halt next to him.

“Good morning to you as well,” Tony snapped back. He was hurting more than he expected and knowing that they were going to the crime scene, he didn’t take any of his pain medication –he wanted to have a clear head when he looked things over.

“He’s being stubborn,” McGee grumbled as he looked at his partner, hoping that Tony would not keel over at any given moment in time.

“I’m doing my job.” Tony grabbed a pair of gloves that Gibbs held out to him and snapped them on. “What have we figured out so far?”

Gibbs looked at Tony for a long while as the younger man hunkered down the large stain that already seeped into the dirt. It was no longer a deep red, now more brown, but you didn’t need an imagination to know what you were looking at. “Six victims, two females, four males. All six victims’ necks were snapped before their bodies were mutilated.”

“As in tortured?”

Gibbs shook his head. “As in ripped apart. First response indicated and I can confirm that what we found here was more a pile of body parts than anything else. This was pure carnage, and nothing more.”

“And it’s our killer because of the violence?” Tony shook his head. “Couldn’t be one, had to be two.” He looked at Gibbs. “You’re not agreeing with me.”

Gibbs reached out and helped Tony to his feet. “Only one killer.” He moved a bit away and showed Tony another marked off area. “One set of shoe prints.”

Tony frowned. “Smaller size than the last time, but still impossible for only one person. How did one guy manage to overcome six people, even taking into consideration that two of them were women? Maybe only the one was stupid enough to step into the blood.” Even as he spoke up, he knew he did not believe it himself for one second. The amount of blood would’ve made it nearly impossible not to step into it.

“A trained special ops soldier can snap a person’s neck in a few seconds.” Gibbs stated the fact. Until he told Tony about _them_ , he had to get Tony to believe in the possibility that they might be dealing with only one killer.

“Do we know the sizes of the men?” Tony moved around carefully, looking for any other pieces of evidence they might’ve missed.

“Nothing much, but from what I could make out, three of the men had a large build, the last of average stature and the two women, small.” Gibbs tried not to think about the bloody pile as he estimated the sizes for Tony.

“Okay, so he took out the larger ones first, making sure no one could challenge him before taking care of the smaller man and the two women.” Tony nodded to himself. “So we’re dealing with a crazy ass son of a bitch who had some sort of training.”

 _‘Or one crazy vampire,’_ Gibbs thought as he nodded in Tony’s direction.

Tony looked around the area. They were once again in a secluded area, away from any sign of life or any surveillance cameras from shops that could capture what had happened. Tony frowned. “How did they end up here?” He turned to McGee. “Nearest club or something like that?”

McGee fished out his phone and did a quick search. “More than three miles away.”

“Did they walk here, and why?” Tony started to pace, but hissed as his wound pulled and he stopped. “What the hell were they doing here?

“They came to buy drugs,” Gibbs picked up a used syringe with needle.

“On foot?” Tony shook his head. “I know Vice reported this new trend of _mobile drugs_ , but I can’t see them walking three miles.”

“So where is their car?” McGee chirped up.

“Find out the identity of our victims, and then we’ll find out which ones owned a car that may be missing. We might even get lucky and find the dealer. A dealer who either saw something or is part of this, either way, we need to find that car.” Tony leaned forward and rested his hands on his knees. “Fuck,” he swayed dangerously and would’ve landed on his face if Gibbs hadn’t grabbed him by the arm and held him upright.

“That’s it, I’m taking you home.” Gibbs growled and pulled Tony along. It bothered him that the detective didn’t even try to stop him.

Tony felt like death warmed over. His body ached and he could feel the sweat running down the side of his face. He wanted to object to Gibbs taking him home, but he couldn’t find the energy to do so. Instead, he let Gibbs guide him over to the car. He stopped at the passenger side and turned to face McGee who was right on their heels. “Haunt the ME until you get their identities confirmed and find the car, McGee.”

Tim nodded. “On it, Tony.” He was worried, Tony was shivering badly and when Gibbs had to help Tony to get into the car, he knew Tony made a mistake in signing out AMA at the hospital. He waited for Gibbs to close the door before he spoke up again. “I think he should go back to hospital, Gibbs.”

Gibbs grunted in agreement, as he rounded the car to get in on the driver’s side. “Keep me up to date.” He didn’t add if he was indeed taking Tony back to the hospital or not, but just sped away. “Where’s your pain medication?” Gibbs asked as he exited the heavy city traffic.

“In my bag, in Tim’s car.” Tony swallowed hard; he was starting to feel nauseous.

Gibbs sighed. He could think of a few good replies to that response, but none of them would make Tony feel any better. “Tim wants me to take you back to hospital.” He held up his hand as Tony shook his head. “I won’t take you to hospital, but you’ll let me phone Ducky to come and check you out. If you don’t agree with that, I will haul your ass back to hospital.” Gibbs couldn’t help but growl.

“Are you always this grumpy?” Tony managed to smile but then nodded his head. “Ducky can check me out.”

“Me, grumpy? At least I’m not a fool.” Gibbs knew he was being unreasonable, but seeing Tony in pain like this was making him frustrated.

“I’m doing my job.” This time Tony barked back.

“Well, guess what, if you die, the job will still be there and someone else will do it, but if you die, there’s no one else that can live your life – it’s over and done then.” Gibbs hoped he made sense.

Tony sighed. “I know, Gibbs. But we need to find these bastards, the sooner the better.” He looked around. “Are you abducting me?”

“My house is closer.” Gibbs didn’t add that he couldn’t worry about being invited into Tony’s private home, without making it awkward. At least at his own home, he could get Tony in and settled without any hassles.

Tony merely nodded in agreement and closed his eyes. He felt dead tired and wished he had something to take for the pain.

Gibbs was worried. Tony didn’t look good at all. Without taking his eyes off the road, he fished out his phone and quickly called Ducky to meet them at his house. Initially, he planned to phone the ME when he had Tony settled in bed, but now he had to get the ME at his house as soon as possible. “We’re almost there.” Gibbs placed his hand on Tony’s leg and squeezed in once. He couldn’t help but to smile as Tony placed his own hand on top of his. It felt good.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs carried Tony into the house after he made sure there were no nosy neighbors sneaking around. Tony had lost consciousness about a mile from his home and nearly caused Gibbs to overturn his car. Another quick call to Ducky placed him a bit more at ease, after he explained to Ducky how fast Tony’s heart rate was, how many breaths he took per minute and whether or not he was sweating. Luckily, he could do everything while still keeping an eye on the road - his exceptional hearing was beneficial. He still didn’t like the fact that Tony passed out, in all likelihood due to over doing things and the pain he must be in, but at least it wasn’t life threatening.

After he made sure Tony was comfortable, he made his way back down the stairs. At least this time it didn’t seem like any human came and snooped around. The last time was a few days ago and although nothing was taken some of his things were moved and he could smell the human’s scent the moment he entered his house. He still had no idea what the person wanted, but since he really didn’t have much of value, the human must’ve decided to leave after realizing just that.

He heard Ducky pulling up and Gibbs went to meet him at the door.

“How’s Anthony doing?” Ducky asked as he entered the house. Without waiting to be told where he’d find his patient, Ducky moved towards the stairs.

“Still has not regain consciousness.” Gibbs followed Ducky into his bedroom and just stared at Ducky as the doctor looked at him over his shoulder with a smirk. He thought of placing Tony in the guest room, but he wanted him close to him, Tony was his and he was not letting go. The fact that Tony was injured just intensified his protectiveness towards his bondmate.

Ducky wisely remained silent after the look Gibbs gave him, but he was still smiling to himself as he examined his patient. He had a quick look at Tony’s vitals and checked on the wound as well. The stitches were holding well, although the area looked swollen due to Tony overtaxing himself. “Well, he’s no longer unconscious, merely sleeping.” He placed the vial he used back in his bag. “I’ve given him something for the pain and I will leave you some medication for him. Make sure he takes them when needed.” Ducky knew Gibbs would keep Tony here until the detective was back on his feet.

“Thanks, Ducky.” Gibbs was relieved.

“There’s a Council meeting this evening.” Ducky informed him.

“I was informed about it and I briefed Tom on what we know; he’ll be able to inform the council of what is going on.”

“I understand that you will not attend tonight, but…” Ducky tried to argue, but Gibbs interrupted him.

“I’m not part of the Council, Ducky.” He knew with the killing spree going on, Ducky would bring this up – again.

“You’ve got the right to be there, Jethro.” Ducky tried again.

Gibbs shook his head. “Don’t start with that again, Duck.” Gibbs sighed. He hated some aspects of their history, including the fact that he’s _supposedly_ the ‘seventh time worthy’. So what if he’s the seventh son that has served not only the council, but also their elite sentry unit, although they’re now known as a federal agency. He never believed in those prophecies, but the Elders did and the pressure was growing more and more for him to attend Council meetings to prepare him for his so-called new role as _Tatell_. The fact that he met his future bondmate made the Council uneasy in the sense that they felt that change was coming and they had no idea how to deal with it, and he didn’t want to deal with it. Nothing was written in stone - although the original prophecy was so old, it could’ve been written in stone.

Ducky sighed. “No, Jethro. We’ve been ignoring this issue for far too long. You were brought up with the prophecies, you know you’re the only living one to whom it is applicable, and together with the other signs, your time is coming closer. Change is coming, not only to you, but also to all of us in this clan; in all of the different covens and for the entire brood. The sooner we start realizing it the better.”

“Damn it, Ducky! I don’t have time for this. If the clan and for that matter any of the covens or any other bloody vampire in the world want to deal with it, then so be it, but leave me out of it. I’ve got killers to catch; I don’t have time to play politics.”

“And do you think we have got the time to play, Jethro? You know what the prophecy says, but let me refresh your memory… _‘And from the North two lines will appear; the first – seventh time worthy and hailed by the King. The other pure; untainted and unfamiliar to what danger lurks, but still worthy to rule and the two will meet side by side and when the moon is at its bloodiest they will fight for light.’_ You cannot ignore this, Jethro. Since you have indicated to me that Tony is your bondmate, I have been doing research and he fulfils the second part. He is pure, untainted and unfamiliar with what is out there. I had many of our researchers go through records, no one in Tony’s direct lineage can in any way or manner be linked to vampires – to us. No one has ever been bonded or turned. There is no record for any one of his ancestors’ to have acted as blood donors. He is more than worthy to stand by your side, Jethro. The fact that these murders are happening – another part of the prophecy – a very important part that we cannot ignore. Trouble is stirring and we need to get ready.”

“You’ve been waiting for a long time to say that to me haven’t you, Ducky?” Gibbs sighed. He was no longer a fledgling; he knew how things worked. Nevertheless, he always thought that if he ignored it, it would just disappear. Ducky smiled.

“Vampires, prophecies? Shit, Ducky what did you give me?” Tony’s voice sounded slurred next to them and both vampires turned to face him in surprise.

Ducky looked at Gibbs and for the first time since Gibbs could remember his friend was speechless. The way Ducky looked at him; Gibbs knew it would be up to him to explain to Tony what he heard. He now had one of two choices. One, tell Tony it was the drugs he was on, that they said nothing about vampires or prophecies, or two, he could come clean. He opened his mouth to answer, but his phone started to ring and he answered it quickly when he saw it was Morrow.

“Tom?” Gibbs answered as he stared at Tony. The younger man still had a confused look on his face and he had to smile when Tony yawned and his eyes drifted close again. Gibbs moved and sat down next to Tony while he gently dragged his fingers through Tony’s hair. Tony sighed and Gibbs could feel him leaning into the touch. “Say again?” He had to repeat as he realized he blocked Tom out completely.

_“Henderson is dead. A human is killing of members of the Council, Gibbs.”_

Gibbs blanched at the words and looked up at Ducky. His friend had heard the conversation clearly and he could see how utterly shocked Ducky was. Henderson was one of the oldest vampires Gibbs knew. He was close to eight hundred years. “Where’s the body?” Gibbs heard himself ask as he got to his feet.

 _“About two miles down the river where Nancy’s body was found.”_ Tom sounded distraught.

Gibbs didn’t need to ask to know that Tom was already at the scene. “We’ll meet you there.” He looked down and saw that Tony had fallen asleep again. He ended the call. “I’m sorry, Ducky. I know the two of you have been close.”

Ducky only nodded. He had no words for the anguish he felt at the words he overheard. “We can’t leave Tony alone here, what do you want to do?” He asked as he finally managed to speak.

“I’m going to need Tim at the scene.” Gibbs thought for a moment and then reached for his phone again. “Abby.” He said as he scrolled to her number. He looked at Tony one more time and then exited the room, Ducky followed on his heels. He didn’t give Abby much time to talk, just explained the situation to her and then ended the call.

They exited the house and for the first time that Ducky could remember, Gibbs locked his front door.

“I’ll attend the meeting tonight, Ducky.” Gibbs said softly as they got into his car to go to the newest crime scene.

Ducky nodded his head. Both vampires were deep in thought and they failed to notice the black sedan parked across the street from Gibbs’ home, or the second sedan a few houses further down the street.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Ziva slammed her fist into the wall. The small bones in her hand gave way behind the force, but she didn’t care. “I hate those fucking blood suckers!” She yelled out of frustration as she stripped out of her clothes and used her shirt to wipe away the blood that oozed from the split-opened knuckles. Without taking a second look at her hand, she stepped into the shower and opened the water. She screamed again as the icy cold water sprayed directly on her, but she didn’t move away. She stayed put until the water warmed up and only then did she move as she started to clean herself.

“Three fucking so called council vampires, three dead monsters and still so little to go on.” She spoke through the stained glass as she heard Jenny enter the bathroom.

“Your last assignment did not go well, I assume?” Jenny asked as she picked up the discarded shirt between her fingers and shuddered at the sight. She let it drop again and started stripping her own clothes before opening the shower door and stepping into the now steamed up cubicle. “Want me to help you unwind for a bit?” She asked as she leaned in and kissed Ziva slowly. She could feel the tension drain out of her lover as they moved closer.

Between the shared kisses and caresses Jenny managed to get Ziva clean and lead her out of the steaming bathroom and into their bedroom after a quick rub down. “Lay down on your stomach,” she whispered against Ziva’s ear and helped her lover stretch out on the bed. She leaned across and reached for the massage oil they both enjoyed, rubbing it warm between her hands before gently starting at the top of Ziva’s shoulders and slowly started to work the bunched up muscles, helping Ziva to relax more.

Ziva sighed as the muscles in her shoulders finally released the tension they held. “This last vampire was a babbling fool.” She mumbled against the sheets and groaned as Jenny started to work on a hard knot just beneath her left shoulder.

“Oh?” Jenny merely asked. She knew how Ziva’s brain worked. By mauling through what had happened, she’d work through her frustrations and hopefully relax enough to get a decent night of sleep, or at least let them have a good night loving each other.

“He kept on mumbling about the signs, the more I pressured him, the more he babbled about the signs. I’ve got no idea what he was going on about.” Ziva tensed up again.

“And then you lost your temper and you killed him.” Jenny stated the fact.

“Yes, and I’m very much frustrated about that. I shouldn’t have done that, but it’s too late now.” She didn’t even add that she’d just dumped the body, not caring whether or not it was found. There was no way it could be traced back to her in any case.

Ziva’s words made Jenny think. “Did he say what signs he was referring to?”

“Something about being pure and untainted and that the signs were all there, that it is time for them to bond. He kept on saying it must happen sooner rather than later. Other than that, he didn’t make much sense.”

Jenny grinned and leaned in, nipping hard on Ziva’s collarbone. “You got more than what you think, Ziva. Kort will be very impressed.”

“What are you getting at?” Ziva tried to turn over, but Jenny kept her pinned on her stomach.

“You know about the vampires’ prophecy, and you also know that we as the _Slayers_ have been trying for hundreds of years to find out what it means and to stop it from happening. Did this vampire connect any names to what he told you?”

“Not directly. Kept on mumbling about Gibbs and then he would talk about September and kings. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was a vampire I would’ve sworn he was high on something.”

Jenny grinned as she moved so that she partially covered Ziva’s body with her own and then with her long fingers, still slicked with oil she pushed two of them deep into Ziva’s pussy. The sounds Ziva made were enough for Jenny to get wet herself. “I’ll explain later,” she whispered before she rolled the two of them over and started kissing Ziva hard while her fingers played within the moist folds of the other woman.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

To say that he was impressed with the information brought to him by David would’ve been an understatement. It only took her to torture and kill three vampires before she could tell him what they were looking for. Kort was now certain that the Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was the so-called _new king_ of the bloodsuckers, and although not one hundred percent confirmed, it looked like Detective Anthony D. DiNozzo would be his future mate.

The time of playing games had ended; it was time to rid the world of the vampires for once and for all.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_‘In the beginning of my life, we were feared. In some instances, it was correct to do so, but the reputation that they built describing us as bloodthirsty monsters was unfair. Yes, we drank blood and yes, we had to do so to survive. As for the monster part, well – beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’_

_‘We indeed used our ability to morph into something more sinister to our advantage. We morphed like any other creature in a natural reaction to protect ourselves, to look more dangerous to those who had the ability to hunt us. Just look at wolves - they raise their hackles, their faces contort into fierce snarls and you can clearly see their incisors as they show their teeth in warning. And yet wolves stay beautiful creatures, but with us the same is not said.’_

_‘When we revealed ourselves to humans in the beginning and showed them our true reflections they reacted negatively. They could not comprehend that the one they thought of as a friend, was now something hideous. It was for this reason that most of us took an oath not to reveal ourselves to humans, not if we wanted to keep them in our lives. It was a hard decision to take, but a necessary one._

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Abby frowned as she entered Gibbs’ home. Something made her lock the door behind her. She had noticed the black sedan across the street and couldn’t help but to feel uncomfortable. She looked through the large living room window and saw no movement from the car. Abby fiddled with her phone. She was strong enough to take on one, even two humans, but if there were vamps involved, things could get rough. She made sure to keep her phone close, just in case.

Abby made her way up the stairs and smiled when she found Tony sprawled out on Gibbs’ bed. “Way to go, Bossman.” She moved into the room and frowned when she could detect the heat coming from Tony’s body. “You really overdid it, Tony.” She sighed and went into the bathroom to collect a cool washcloth with which to wipe Tony’s face.

Tony sighed as something cool pressed against his brow; he leaned into the touch and relaxed. He was aware of someone talking to him in a soothing voice, it sounded familiar, but he couldn’t place it. His eyes opened slightly and smiled when he noticed Abby seated next to him. “Abby?”

“You really should take better care of yourself, Tony.” She chastised him lightly.

Tony shook his head. “So many bodies, Abby, so many deaths.” He sounded haunted. “Need to catch that monster, Abby.” He sighed and then giggled. “Your Gibbs is weird, Abby.”

Abby couldn’t help but to smile. She’d forgotten how loopy he could get on pain meds. “Why is Gibbs weird, Tony?” She wiped his brow again.

Tony snickered. “He believes in vampires, Abby.” He laughed again, but then he got serious again. “I wish I could understand him. One moment he blows cold, the next hot. Maybe I should just kiss him.” His eyes grew large. “Do you think he’ll knock my lights out if I kissed him?” He looked around. “Where is he? I think he’ll make a hot vampire, Abby.”

Abby looked like a fish caught on dry land. She had no idea what to make of what Tony had told her. She didn’t even think about the fact that Tony thought Gibbs would make a hot vampire, it was just too much. Luckily, it didn’t seem like Tony wanted a reply from her, for which she was grateful, as she had no idea what she would’ve said. 

Tony frowned. “Abby?” He looked around again. “I don’t feel so good.” The color drained from his face and even before Abby could attempt to help him to the bathroom, he was violently ill. Abby held him as he continued to heave. His whole body trembled when he finally fell back onto the bed.

“Easy, Tony.” Abby frowned. It was as if Tony’s condition was deteriorating. “I think it’s time we called Ducky.” She made sure Tony was not lying in his own vomit before she started cleaning up and at the same time, she took out her phone to get the ME on the phone. If she were human, she wouldn’t have heard the front door opening and a set of footsteps sneaking around on the ground floor. She hissed in anger, her elongated fangs appeared and she had to calm herself down. She looked to where Tony laid sprawled out on the bed. It seemed like he’d drifted off to sleep. She closed the bedroom door behind her and silently made her way down to the short passage to reach the stairs. She’d told Gibbs before to put in a proper security system, but the vampire just wouldn’t listen. She could smell the intruder and it was clear that he was human. She couldn’t help but to think about the two cars parked across the street. Something was hinky.

Abby pushed the phone back into her pocket as she stepped down and turned to search for the human who dared enter Gibbs’ home. She found the man snooping around in the dining room. “Ever heard of knocking?” She sneered, but kept her fangs hidden.

The man turned and sneered. “And here I thought the bloodsucker lived alone.” He grinned, “You must be his bitch?” He reached for one of his silver throwing knives and even as he flicked it the vampire moved.

“A slayer, a freaking slayer?” Abby mumbled as she started to move. She never before had to fight a slayer, but she had the training to deal with one. Moreover, with Gibbs as her trainer, she was one of the best. Human scumbags always underestimated her, in the end they knew better. This time she knew the fight would be harder, but she was confident in her skills. It seemed like her opponent was just as confident.

The slayer would never admit it, but Abby realized it soon enough, they were equally matched. It was as if they knew one another’s moves, and if it weren’t for the fact that they were fighting for their lives, they would’ve made excellent sparing partners.

Abby grinned as one of her kicks made the slayer stagger away and she leaped forward, turning in time to sweep his legs from underneath him. She had to scramble away when a knife appeared which he flung at her with good aim. She closed the gap between them going on the attack again. This time her own blood smeared his knuckles as she ducked too late. Abby couldn’t help but to remember what Gibbs had told her. _‘Slayers are trained for years. They are stronger and faster than normal human beings. They might not have our speed or our skills, but they are still worthy opponents in battle, not to be underestimated in any fight.’_

Another knife followed the first and once again, Abby had to use her fighting abilities to stay out of reach of the silver knife. She snarled as he reached for a pistol, the silver so strong on it that it made her eyes water. Taking a chance, she attacked again and with a bit of luck on her side, the slayer stumbled over a loose rug and lost his grip on the weapon. It skidded to the side and landed under a side dresser, well out of reach of the slayer.

They slammed into one another, the dining room table shifting over the floor, scratching the polished wooden floor. _‘Gibbs is going to be pissed,’_ Abby thought as she ducked to avoid another blow. Her breathing was starting to come a bit faster, but she was still far from tired. The slayer was breathing hard, sweat rolled down the side of his face and once or twice, he already had to wipe the sweat before it trickled into his eyes.

Gibbs’ stern voice in her head made Abby snarl again. _‘Don’t play with your food.’_ She went on the attack. A side table landed on its side before they stumbled forward, wrecking the dining room as they took the fight deeper into the house.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Tony stumbled to his feet as he heard a commotion. He was still unsure where he was, although he could vaguely remember Gibbs bringing him here. With blurry eyes and nausea that threatened to overpower him, he found his service weapon and stumbled out into the passage. He could hear the different noises coming from below and the nearer he got, the more it sounded like people fighting. The stairs were on his right and as he turned to go down, two figures moved passed, involved in hand-to-hand combat. Tony frowned. One figure looked like Abby, but it couldn’t be. Abby didn’t have the skills to fight like that. He took the stairs three at a time, rounding the corner to see how the larger figure pummeled his opponent’s face. It was indeed Abby. Tony moved forward to assist, when the Goth punched the person just as hard before pivoting into the air and taking her attacker down with a kick to the head.

Abby turned and Tony stumbled backwards. Her face looked distorted. Her brow was wider and scrunched up, her eyes a bloodshot red and she had long fangs that protruded from her mouth. She actually hissed. Tony shook his head; he couldn’t believe what he saw. Out of trained instinct, he raised his weapon and pointed it at her. “Don’t move.” His voice sounded calm, but that was not how he felt. He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to find out what was going on.

Abby snarled as she looked up when she heard the voice next to her. She gasped for breath when she realized it was Tony. She immediately schooled her features, but by the look in her friend’s eyes, it was too late. The damaged had been already done. “I can explain.”

Tony rolled his eyes and kept the weapon pointed at her. “Move away.”

At first Abby wanted to defy the order, but she knew Tony and she knew he wouldn’t hesitate to shoot if she didn’t follow his orders. She moved away from the man sprawled at her feet. She could hear by his breathing that he was starting to wake up again. He was a slayer, and Abby knew she had to finish him off before he had a chance to kill her. Slayers were ruthless, this one wouldn’t hesitate in killing Tony as well, he wouldn’t even try to establish if Tony was human. “You need to cuff him, he’s starting to wake up.” She looked Tony straight in the eye.

Tony ignored her remark, but frowned. “What are you?”

“I’m your friend.” Abby spoke softly. She could understand Tony’s reaction, but it still hurt. He was looking at her as if he’s never seen her before; as if she was a monster.

Tony shook his friend. “My friends don’t look like _that_.” He shook his head, but then turned his attention as the man on the floor groaned aloud. “Stay where you are.” He instructed Abby as he hunkered down to check on the person. Later on Tony would admit that it was a rookie mistake. The moment he leaned forward, the person turned lightning fast coming to his feet as Tony lost his balance and stumbled backwards. The guy moved forward toward Tony to attack, but before Tony could raise his weapon, Abby barreled towards them, slamming into the man taking the fight away from Tony.

“Abby!” Tony yelled as Abby and the unknown male started attacking each other again. He was impressed - Abby was holding her own, the man was having a rough time keeping the smaller woman from kicking his ass. That was until Tony realized that the man was merely blocking her blows as he was slowly moving backwards; he was trying to get away.

Abby snarled at the same time she also realized what Tony had seen. The slayer was trying to get away, and she couldn’t allow that. Never in their history had a slayer gotten away. Either the slayer killed the vampire or the vampire killed the slayer. There was always only one party left standing and this time it would be her.

The slayer roared in anger as the vampire bitch attacked him again. He’d already lost all of his throwing knives when he fought her and the pistol in their scuffles. He leaped forward, caught her off guard and delivered a vicious uppercut that made her head snap back. Abby landed hard on the wooden floor, dazed for a moment or two. He realized it was his only chance to finish the bitch off and he reached for the last weapon in his arsenal.

“Abby!” Tony yelled again as Abby lay stunned on the floor and the man took out something that looked like a wooden stake and curled his hands around it to plunge it into her body. The slayer never had the chance to bring the stake down and even before Tony could curl his finger around the trigger, another figure barreled into the attacker, tackling him right off his feet. The man made a strange gurgling sound and then his body went limp. A trail of blood coated the side of his neck. The new attacker got to his feet and wiped his mouth clean. His face distorted in the same way Abby’s face was earlier. Slowly his features morphed back and he turned to face his future mate.

“Gibbs?” Tony frowned as his brain finally caught up with what his eyes witnessed. “Gibbs?” He asked again before his eyes rolled over in his head and he slumped forward. Even before his limp body could touch the floor, Gibbs closed the distance between them and scooped him up. He held him in his arms and turned to face Abby together with Ducky and Tim, who also appeared in the door.

“I didn’t want him to find out like this.” Gibbs looked down at the man in his arms and then at the three other vampires in front of him. “Get rid of that.” He indicated to the body that dirtied his floor. Without another word, he turned and headed back up the stairs.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gunter wiped his mouth clean of the blood that stained it red and looked over to where Olaf was busy thrusting into a not so willing woman. At least this time his _brother_ had gagged her so her screams were muffled and it didn’t disturb him when he had his snack. “Are you ready for tonight?” He asked as he stuffed his hand down his own trousers to take his cock out. He always was a voyeur, and seeing the way the woman struggled as tears streaked her face and blood tainted her thighs made him as hard as nails.

Olaf merely grunted in response as he flipped the woman over without even withdrawing from her tight folds and thrust deeper. His hunger was growing, but he first needed his relief. He looked over and saw Gunter with his hand around his dick. “Love what you see?” He grinned and then slammed in again and finally found what he was looking for. His movements were erratic as he emptied himself before he sighed and landed hard on his plaything. She was still weeping, but he didn’t care. He took her head in his hand and turned it to the side. “Yum,” he let his fangs descend and not caring that she once again started screaming through the gag at the sight of his face, he slammed his teeth into the soft flesh of her neck and started to feed his need. He didn’t stop drinking even as the woman stopped struggling and her heart fluttered one last time before life finally left her.

Gunter found his own release just as Olaf finished his meal. He smeared his hand against his trousers and tucked himself in again. “Are you sure he’ll be there?”

Olaf snorted. “While you lay around doing nothing, I asked some questions. The detective is considered one of the best, so of course they will send him out to investigate.” He grinned. “It’s going to be epic.”

“Then let’s go - I can’t wait.” Gunter picked up the dead body and slung it over his shoulder. One more for the garbage hole at the back.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**24 Hours later: Gibbs’ residence**

Gibbs looked on as his future mate paced the room. Tony had been doing that for the past hour and a half. Every time Gibbs tried to speak up, Tony would pin him down with a look Gibbs had never seen before on any human face. What was scarier was the fact that Tony stayed in total control of his emotions. His ability to calm things down was so highly strung that Gibbs had a feeling that most of his neighbors felt as if they were in a trance. At least a soothing one in any case. Ducky had texted him three times to get Tony to tone it down, but it was a bit difficult when your mate was trying to stare you to death.

Gibbs had never felt like this. There was not one human or vampire for that matter, who could stare him down, or could intimidate him, but with Tony, it was different. If his mate wanted him to be quiet, he would be quiet. Gibbs managed to hide the grin that threatened to appear on his face. No one would ever believe this. It was also the total opposite of what had happened when Tony finally regained consciousness.

_Gibbs paced the floor as Ducky checked over Tony. The human managed to tear some of the stitches out and Ducky had to redo the needlework. Ducky attached an IV line to Tony’s arm as he mumbled about Tony being dehydrated. Through the closed door Gibbs could also hear Abby pacing as she was still concerned about the way in which Tony reacted to her; to them._

_One moment Tony was still unconscious, the next he was on his feet, back against the wall, ready to fight. He didn’t want to listen to any reason, his mind still not believing what he’d witnessed. Gibbs finally got Ducky out of the room and with lightning speed, he’d managed to pin Tony to the bed. Gibbs was convinced that Tony’s body recognized him as his mate, as the human immediately calmed down. Without loosening his grip over Tony, Gibbs told him about vampires, about what Abby was, what he was, what Ducky and even McGee was. It had rendered Tony speechless._

_Knowing how distraught Abby was Gibbs added softly. “Abby is still the same Abby that you know, Tony. She hasn’t changed one bit. Only the perception of how you now see her changed. The same with me. I’m still the hard ass agent you met a few weeks back.”_

_“It’s not the same, Gibbs and you know it. It will never be the same.” Tony moved underneath Gibbs but Gibbs’ grip remained solid._

_“What’s not the same?” Gibbs was playing hardball._

_Tony snorted. “Really? Well let’s see - you can drain me of my blood at any time.”_

_“Any of us could have done that much earlier, but we didn’t. Just because you’re now aware of us, doesn’t change who we are, Tony. You know Abby, you know Tim. Neither of them would do anything to hurt you. You’re starting to get to know Ducky and me. In your heart you know neither of us would harm you in any way as well.”_

_Tony remained quiet and then the questions started flowing and Gibbs didn’t hesitate one second, answering each question until Tony grew tired and drifted off to sleep. Gibbs stayed with the detective all through the night and when Tony woke up and started asking more questions, he answered them as well._

Gibbs was pulled out of his musing when Tony stopped pacing and turned to face him. “Stop being so damn happy, this is serious.”

Gibbs quirked an eyebrow. “How do you know I’m happy?”

“Because for one or other reason I can feel it, so just stop it.” Tony snapped and then held up his hand in an apology. “Sorry, that was uncalled for. I can’t feel what you’re feeling; I’m just taking my frustrations out on you.” He sighed and then gently lowered himself next to Gibbs, who sat on the bed. “Tell me again, please.” He sounded sad.

Gibbs knew that it was not the time to tell Tony about his empath ability. Instead, he lowered his arms onto his knees and interlocked his fingers. He sat like that for a few moments before he spoke up. “Vampires have been roaming the earth long before humans came along. As with humans, we also evolved. We are originally from the old country – Europe, but as the world grew, we moved and spread out.” He didn’t add the fact that there had been issues between them and the European vampires, which would come up shortly.

“Collectively, all vampires are called a brood. Vampires of a specific region are referred to as a clan and smaller groups, or families staying together are known as covens.” Gibbs smiled as Tony nodded at the information.”

“There are also _kings_ involved?” Tony looked up.

Gibbs nodded. “More than one, actually. For each coven, there is a Sire and a Sire-mate, known as the _Torak_ and _Torak-mate_. They are also referred to as the third kings.”

Tony frowned. “But your _coven_ doesn’t have a king? Or do I have that wrong?”

“You’re not wrong. Our coven hasn’t had a king for a very long time.” Knowing that he had to explain further Gibbs continued. “We are now governed by a council.”

Tony shook his head. “Tell me about the kings first.” He couldn’t help but to be intrigued.

“Okay. Each region or Clan also has its own set of kings. They are called the _Korus_ and _Korus-mate_. Or, the second kings.”

Tony nodded. “And then there are the main peanuts in the Brood?”

Gibbs smiled. “Yes, the Royal family, but as I told you, that linage is extinct.” He kept the part of the prophecy to himself. It was something that Tony could freak out about later. “They are referred to as the _Tatell_ and _Tatell-mate_.”

“Why so many kings?” Tony asked as he got to his feet to pace again.

Gibbs took Tony’s hand and pulled him back to sit next to him. He didn’t let go of Tony’s hand. “It’s not so many. Think of it as having a president, a vice president and then a deputy vice president. They govern from the ground up. If the _Torak_ cannot deal with a specific problem, it’s referred to the _Korus_ and if the second king doesn’t have a solution, it’s referred to the _Tatell_. No vampire may approach the _Tatell_ directly with problems; they have to work through the system.”

“It makes sense if you put it like that.” Tony thought deep. “There are no kings at the moment, not a single one?”

“No, one because as I told you the Royal linage is no more, and because of the rift that developed between us and the European clans-” Gibbs sighed. “I’ll tell you more about that later, but at this stage both clans are governed by their respective councils.”

“Let me guess, politics plays a huge role.” Tony rolled his eyes. The longer he talked to Gibbs the calmer he got. He still had fleeting moments of wanting to run, but at least he kept his feet firmly on the floor.

“Just like in everything else.” Gibbs smiled. “I know you should have a ton more questions, and I can promise you, every one will get answered, but now we need to focus on the killers. It should be our priority.”

Tony wanted to object, there were so many things he still wanted to find out, from small things to enormous stuff, but Gibbs was right, they had a job to do. He cocked his head. “You’ll tell me, right?”

Gibbs frowned. “Tell you what?”

Tony grinned. “When you’re hungry, I need to have the time to arm myself with some garlic. Just to be on the safe side, you understand.”

Gibbs rolled his eyes. “The only thing that the garlic would do is to make me think about pizza, DiNozzo. It’s not going to stop me from feeding from you.” As he spoke, his pants got tighter. He couldn’t get the images out of his mind. Tony sprawled out beneath him, his skin covered in a thin sheen of sweat, as Gibbs fed from him, Tony’s ass tightened around him as he thrust his cock into Tony’s tight hole. Gibbs cleared his throat and Tony looked embarrassed. Tony’s smell had changed, he smelled faintly aroused and it gave Gibbs hope.

Tony pulled his hand from Gibbs and rose to his feet. “This Henderson who was killed was the third Elder on the council to be murdered. The neurosurgeon and the author being the other two. And you’re of the opinion they were all killed by a human?” Tony shook his head. “I’ve seen Abby fight, I’ve seen what you did - how can a human capture, torture and kill you like that?”

“I told you about slayers. Most of them are trained from a very young age how to hunt as and how to kill us. We are not invincible, Tony. We can still be killed. For a seasoned slayer it would be possible to capture us and to kill us.” Gibbs sounded wretched.

“I’m sorry. I forgot you knew them for many years.” He still couldn’t believe Abby’s age, or for that matter that McGee was seventy-five years old. Ducky’s age amazed him, but he didn’t ask Gibbs his age, he didn’t want to lose his head. He focused on the case. “We need to speak to the members of the council.” He arched his brow as Gibbs groaned. “What? Am I not allowed to?”

Gibbs shook his head. “It’s complicated.”

Tony nodded in agreement. “Murder is always complicated. Either you arrange it, or I do. But, we will talk to them and we’ll do it as soon as possible.” Tony met Gibbs’ gaze. “I don’t know what you did with the body.”

“What we do with all the slayers bodies.” Gibbs sounded harsh. “And, no, I’m not going to tell you. So don’t ask again.” With that, Tony knew the subject was closed. He had no idea how he felt about it. A man was killed, yes, it was a justifiable kill as he was about to take Abby’s life, but no DA or any other police officer would just let it go.

“It’s not the first slayer’s body you have dealt with.” Tony stated.

“And in my lifetime, it most likely will not be the last.” Gibbs looked at Tony. “You need to understand something. We do have what we call rogue vampires, and trust me, that’s why I have this job. I’m the one that makes sure that they are caught and dealt with. Slayers see themselves as protectors of the innocent, but they don’t hunt those who have done wrong. They kill each and every one of my kind when they find us. Including babies.” Gibbs stepped into Tony’s space. “So you tell me, who’s the monster now?”

Tony had no response to that statement. He could understand Gibbs’ reaction. He nodded his head. “I need to apologize to Abby.” Tony grinned. “And I need to tease Tim.” Even as he reached for the door, Gibbs closed the distance between them and stopped him from stepping out. Tony frowned.

“You’ve got a right to freak out, Tony. You’ll need time to digest all of this.” Gibbs placed his hand over Tony’s again. He could feel Tony’s pulse beneath his fingers.

Tony leaned with his head against the door. The way Gibbs stood behind him made him feel protected and horny at the same time. His cock twitched, but he tried to ignore it. Just because Gibbs had reached out and held his hand a few times didn’t mean a thing. “Now is not the time to freak out, Gibbs. We have some killers to catch.”

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Trent Kort slammed his fist into the wall, not caring about the damage he was doing to his hand or to the drywall. He looked down at the body of Ari, one of his more seasoned men and Ziva’s half-brother. He had no idea who killed Ari, but he would find out and he would personally rip that fucking bloodsucker to pieces. “Let David know about her brother and prepare the body for cremation.” He turned and exited the morgue. He hated each time he had to come here, to see one of his men on a metal slab, deprived of life. He reached for his phone. “In my office, now.” He barked out and ended the call.

Kort didn’t have to wait long before the knock at his door sounded and with a gruff reply, he waited for the man to step inside. “Where were you? Why did you not see Ari doing such a foolish thing?”

Cobb looked at his boss. “The cop is still injured and he wasn’t going anywhere. You wanted more info on him and I couldn’t get that if I babysat him. I made a choice. It’s not my fault if Ari was killed by his own stupid actions. And what the hell was he doing there in any case? How the hell did he know about Gibbs?”

Kort realized Jonas had some valid points. He didn’t send Ari out so what was the slayer doing there? “What did you find out about the cop?”

Cobb smirked. “He might be a highly decorated cop, but the skeletons in his closet are too many.” He took a seat without invitation and then continued. “Only son of Anthony DiNozzo Senior, a self-made millionaire, but an even greater self-made loser. The cop’s mother died when he was eight. From what I could find, she was a useless drunk. Got liver cancer and died in hospital. Before that, she loved parading her only son around in weird outfits. Daddy dearest didn’t give a damn about his son, although he did try to sell him on more than one occasion.”

“Where are the skeletons?”

“Daddy got very drunk one night and he’s a violent drunk. Tony landed up in hospital with multiple broken bones. The story was that he had fallen out of a tree and the hospital got a new cardio vascular wing built. An intruder came into their house a year later and daddy protected his son by shooting the so-called bad guy. The fact that it was their butler, who according to stories stopped Senior from killing the kid the previous day didn’t matter. Senior didn’t go to trial and the DA was appointed as mayor. Senior also married several times, none of the marriages lasted long, including the one to the supermodel, Kim, who disappeared from the face of the earth and Tony confirmed his father’s version that she left on her own. By that time, he was only twelve and he was shipped off to Rhodes Military Academy. He was twelve.”

“And it would ruin his career if this stuff should come out.” Kort smiled. “I think it’s time you visited Detective DiNozzo, tell him what his options are and encourage him to make the right choice.”

“And what if he can’t be persuaded?” Cobb asked as he got to his feet.

“Then we take him and use him as bait. We can kill him later. Either way, this stupid prophecy of those bloodsucking monsters will not come true.”

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Ziva’s shook with rage and grief as she kneeled next to Ari’s slain body and placed her hand over his heart. “Hear me, brother, for I solemnly swear to leave no stone unturned. With the last breath left in me, I will avenge your death. I will make a necklace out of the bloodsucker’s fangs to show each one of them what I did. I will not rest until it’s done.”

Jenny stood next to Ziva and helped her lover to her feet. “Your duty to our cause comes first, but your undertaking for revenge will not be in vain. We will catch the one responsible for this, but we also have to rid the world of them all.” Jenny knew she had to use Ziva’s anger to get her to focus on the bigger picture. An angry and enraged Ziva was the best, and although Jenny would never say it aloud, the death of Ari was a blessing in disguise, she couldn’t have asked for a better way. Ziva would now not rest until it was over - until the human race was seen as being supreme once again.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_‘Taking an oath to keep your true identity hidden is done without as much as blinking. We have all heard the stories of what happened, and as I said before if you wanted to keep someone in your life who you loved so much, you kept quiet. That is until you cannot any longer and you have to speak up.’_

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Another 24 hours later**

“You can stop hovering, McVamp, I’m all right.” Tony grinned as he finally managed to close the door in Tim’s face. He sagged heavily against the door. “Go home, McGee.” He spoke through the door and listened as Timothy finally walked away. He turned and slid down the door, landing hard on his backside. Tony drew his knees up against his chest and lowered his head on his knees. “FUCK!” He yelled out the word. “I’m so screwed.” He dragged his hand over his face and then slowly came to his feet again. The injury to his side throbbed, but he ignored it for the moment. Now, now, he had to get something to drink. The stronger the better. For the first time in his life, Tony craved to get drunk. It was one thing he avoided all through his teenage years up until today. He had firsthand knowledge of what alcohol could do, but now he couldn’t care. Not tonight in any case.

He found the bottle of bourbon right at the back. It was a gift from someone - he couldn’t even remember whom. Not that it mattered; he only wanted to get it down his throat and forgot about everything. Forgot about what he had witnessed, what he had learned over the last few days. Tony huffed. He couldn’t believe that it was only forty-eight hours. All those hours ago, he had blinders on. Saw only black and white, right and wrong. Now? Now he knew about those things going _bump_ in the night. He knew about covens, clans and broods. He knew about kings and king-mates. He couldn’t even remember all the names, Gibbs told him.

 _‘Gibbs’_. Just thinking of the man – no – vampire, made his head hurt. Tony didn’t need to close his eyes to see the blurry movement coming out from nowhere and tackling the man, killing him even before Tony could take another breath of air. He finally got the bottle open and tipped it into his mouth. He could feel the liquid burning his tongue, sides of his mouth, down his throat into his stomach as he kept on drinking from the bottle. He tried to close his eyes, but it didn’t help, nothing helped. Finally, he had to breathe and he lowered the bottle again. He coughed, and continued to cough. His side hurt, his head hurt, but he couldn’t care. Not now. Tony stumbled to his feet. He couldn’t even remember sitting down as he took the bottle with him to his room. He didn’t really need to go to the bedroom as his whole apartment was sound proof, but being deeper into his sanctuary gave him that extra bit of security. Tony took another swallow of the fiery liquid and then landed hard on his knees. “FUCK!!!!” The scream was raw, laced with all of the emotions he kept inside of him for the past three days. He could feel himself shiver, but couldn’t care. He didn’t want to care.

Tony landed on his side, not a drop of alcohol spilled from the bottle as he brought it back to his mouth. Already he could feel the effects of the alcohol in him. His head was swimming, his vision blurry, although that could’ve been because of the tears that threatened to overpower him at any given moment in time.

He had no idea how long it took for him to pass out, but finally it did happen and as the still only half full bottle of bourbon tipped from his lax fingers onto the carpeted floor, Tony curled into himself and wept silently until he knew no more.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

“Jethro?” Tobias asked as he rounded the corner and found his best friend seated on his front steps.

Gibbs looked up as his friend called his name. He smiled, but had a feeling it looked more like a grimace. “I screwed up.”

Tobias sighed; made sure he didn’t roll his eyes and took his seat next to Gibbs. “Why do you say that?”

Gibbs snorted. “Tony.”

“Ah,” Tobias nodded his head. “You know there was nothing you could’ve done at that moment. Not unless you wanted Abby to be killed.”

“I know that, Tobias, but I still didn’t want him to find out like that.”

“So did you want to wait until he got attacked? Or were you planning on telling him over dinner?” Tobias grinned as Gibbs glared at him.

“You do realize that I don’t find that funny.” Gibbs shook his head. “I don’t know. But, you do know I wanted to tell him. I wanted to tell him from the first time I laid eyes on him. And now everything has gone to hell in a hand basket.”

“I was under the impression he took it well?” Tobias frowned. From what he understood, Tony was dealing with everything just fine.

Gibbs snorted. “You’ve worked with DiNozzo before, Tobias. In fact, you have seen him more than what I have. I’ve only heard the rumors on how good he is with undercover operations. You know how good he is. I may not know him for long, Tobias, but he’s my mate and I can see through him. He’s got different masks, Tobias, and he wears them well. And this, him, not freaking out, taking into account what he witnessed, that is huge. It doesn’t matter how many years of experience you have as a police officer, the moment you see something like that, you will flip out. He is freaking out, he’s just not showing it.”

“You’re really worried about him.” Tobias sounded surprised.

“Of course I am, Tobias. He’s my fucking bondmate, what else did you expect me to do?” Gibbs got to his feet.

“Where are you going?” Tobias stood up as well.

“McGee took Tony home. I’m going to check on him.” Gibbs explained as if it was the most natural thing to do.

“And don’t you think that would make him freak out even more?” Tobias kept up with Gibbs as his friend walked to his truck.

Gibbs shrugged. “Maybe it will do him good to talk about it.”

“You mean talking to you.” Tobias grinned. “I suggest you give him his space. Contact him tomorrow. As far as I know, you’ve been with him for the most part of this. Surely, he would’ve talked to you if he wanted to.”

The headslap came out of nowhere and Tobias stood speechless. It had been years since Jethro did something like that. “What the hell?” He rubbed his head hard.

“You’re really not listening, Tobias. Tony is the best at hiding. And when he finally lets that mask slip, it’s going to hit him hard. Harder than what he would’ve guessed. I cannot let him go through that alone. I must help him; I need to help him.”

Tobias stayed quiet and thought hard. He had the honor of working with the detective on several occasions, and Tony was the best undercover officer he’d ever seen. Gibbs had it right. Tony had different masks – one for each scenario he had to face. For a moment, he wondered not only how Tony did it, but also what he did to decompress from such extremely difficult situations. Finally, he nodded his head. “You’re right.”

“I know.” Gibbs took the keys out of his pocket and made his way over to where his truck was parked.

“Want me to come with?”

Gibbs snorted. “And do what, hold my hand?” He shook his head. “I’ve got this one.” He got into the truck and pulled away. It was time to check on his mate.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gunter closed the door to the two storied home behind him and removed the clerical collar around his neck. It was so easy and he knew that neither the police, nor the vampire council would be able to ignore this. Now they only had to alert the media and sit back to see how it exploded in the council’s faces and get to play with a human, which could give them hours of entertainment. He walked back to where Olaf was waiting for him in their newest ride. He rolled his eyes as he saw what Olaf had with him in the car.

“Seriously?”

Olaf shrugged. “What? Their blood is so sweet. Always said they made better food than pets.” He snorted. “Man’s best friend, more like man’s best meal.” He rolled down the window and tossed the carcass out. “Everything set, _Father_? He made the sign of the Cross with his right hand and ducked at the swipe that came his way.

“All set. We’ll make the call when we get home.” Gunter looked at his watch. It had taken them longer to set this part of their plan into operation, almost eighteen hours, but it didn’t matter. Soon their plaything would show up, and soon the whole USA vampire network would be brought to their knees.

Olaf frowned. “Why not stay around here?”

“Because the cops will look for anyone suspicious. We don’t want to stand out. It will take the cops hours to go through the scene. We want to strike just as the detective leaves, and not before. We want them tired; we want them off their game. It will be the perfect blitz attack.” Gunter stretched out. “Let’s go.” Neither vampire uttered a word as they left the high-class neighborhood behind.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Cobb slammed his fist against the dashboard of his car and lowered himself so that he wasn’t seen as he got his breathing under control. He couldn’t believe his luck. He parked outside the detective’s apartment and looked on when a younger man accompanied DiNozzo to his apartment. For a moment, he thought that they had it all wrong - that this young man was the detective’s love interest. That was until he scrolled down all the photos he had on file and found out that the younger man wasn’t so young, and he wasn’t a man. It was another bloodsucker.

He couldn’t make his move; he had to wait for the vampire to leave before he could go up. He stayed in his car and waited hopefully for the vampire to come back down again. Timothy McGee was seventy-five years old. He was born in Bethesda, Maryland. He had a younger sister named Sarah. She was a college student for the umpteenth time according to their records. Cobb hissed at the information. Looked like the vamp was highly trained. He even worked for Gibbs at one stage. Because he was barely out of his fledgling years, he could still pass as a young twenty-something year old and it seemed he used that to get himself into the police department, working alongside the star human detective. For a moment, Cobb wondered if he shouldn’t take the vampire out, but someone might see him and it would definitely raise suspicion with the cops if one of their _own_ got killed so close to another detective’s home. He just had to wait it out.

When McGee stepped out of the building a mere ten minutes later, Cobb knew it was his time. He got out of the car and made his way over to the apartment building, but then a car turned the corner filled with rowdy teenagers and parked right in front of the entrance of the building. He had to move back towards his car when he determined that they were planning on hanging around. He couldn’t believe that they could act in such a manner. They were clearly drunk, bottles of liquor exchanged hands frequently. It lasted for about twenty minutes before two police cruisers showed up and within minutes, the neighborhood returned to its former tranquility. Cobb couldn’t help but to frown. He found it extremely odd that DiNozzo himself didn’t come down to disperse the disruptive teenagers. He waited for a few more moments and then tried again.

Cobb looked at his watch; it was almost an hour later when he finally found himself inside the building. He knew DiNozzo’s apartment was on the twelfth floor. Not trusting elevators, as he deemed them deathtraps, he made his way up the stairs. He silently opened the fire door and peaked into the hallway. It was empty and stepped out, but then the elevator dinged and he had to step back into the stairwell. He left the door open on a sliver and cussed silently as the one vampire he didn’t want to face right now walked past – Gibbs. Cobb didn’t wait any longer, but made his way down the twelve flights of stairs again. He couldn’t let Gibbs catch him there - now was not the time for a standoff with the vampire. He would be the one to end Gibbs’ life, but it would be on his turf and not a moment before he was ready. With his breathing finally under control, Cobb slammed his fist against the dashboard again and then decided to leave. He knew there was no way he would be able to get to DiNozzo tonight. He would have to wait and try his luck later.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs frowned as he made his way over to Tony’s apartment. He caught a whiff of a scent that was familiar, but he had no idea from where. He didn’t have the time to ponder about it, and placed the thought at the back of his head and took the final steps to Tony’s door. “Now for the hard part,” he sighed and raised his fist to rap his knuckles against the wooden door. He had to be invited in and he had no idea if Tony would remember this, or if he would invite him in at all.

He could hear nothing from the inside and it made him frown. He then remembered that Tony’s apartment was sound proof, and realized that was the reason he couldn’t hear anything. He knocked again and waited. After two minutes, and receiving no response Gibbs knew he had to get in, but he had no idea how.

A shuffle behind him caught his attention at the same time an object struck him on the back of his knee. He spun quickly around, and nearly fell over his own feet to step out of the way, as an old human woman barreled towards him, the cane he assumed she used to hit him with, in her hand and she tried to poke him with it again. He tried to get a word in, but she beat him to the punch.

“Who are you? What do you want here? I don’t know you. You are not one of Anthony’s friends. Who are you? Speak up!” Each word was accompanied with a strong poke with the cane right into his chest or stomach.

Gibbs took another step back and raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture. “I’m a federal agent, Ma’am.” He tried to reach for his badge but a sharp hit to his knuckles made him put up his hands again.

“No sudden movements, Sonny. If you got credentials then take them out nice and slow, do not try to do anything silly. I will use this on you.” She threatened him with the cane again by poking his chest once more.

“Yes, Ma’am, I do have my ID in my pocket.” Gibbs knew he could take her down with one movement, but he had a feeling that Tony would not be very happy with him. Instead, he slowly took out his badge and handed it to her. “You can phone my office if that would put you at ease, Ma’am.”

The old woman huffed. “Stop calling me Ma’am. You are making me feel like a hundred years old. My name is Mary - use it.” She tilted the badge and then looked up at Gibbs again. She studied the badge for several moments before she finally gave it back to him. “What do you want here, Agent Gibbs?”

Gibbs knew she would not fall for any story, so he decided to stick to the truth for as far as possible. “We had a rough crime scene; I wanted to check on Tony. Wanted to make sure he was all right.”

Mary frowned. “I saw you on television.” She shook her head. “So sad, so sad.” She knocked with her cane on the door. When she got no reply, she tried again, but this time she shouted out Tony’s name as well.

Gibbs was amazed at the woman’s voice. She looked so tiny, but had very strong vocals. “Do you have a key for Tony’s apartment?” If she could open the door, he could look inside, maybe see Tony and even call out to him. Hopefully, Tony would then invite him in. He held up his hands when he saw the glint in her eyes. “I won’t go in. I just need to know if he’s all right.”

Mary looked at him for a long time, before she finally nodded her head. She reached into her dress and pulled out a key that hung around her neck on a leather string. “I always seem to lose his key. This way I make sure I cannot lose it again.” She used the key and opened the door. Before Gibbs could stop her she stepped into the apartment.

“Everything seems in order,” Mary spoke as she walked deeper into the apartment.

Gibbs wanted to scream out of frustration. He wanted nothing more than to follow her, but the invisible barrier made it impossible for him to step over the threshold. He followed Mary’s heartbeat as she walked out of his sight and even before she spoke up, he knew something was wrong. “Mary?” Gibbs called out as her voice drifted to him.

“Oh, dear. Anthony?” Mary gently shook Tony’s shoulder, but she got no reaction. She looked at the almost empty bourbon bottle in Tony’s hand. “You are going to have one bad headache by the time you wake up.” Mary sighed. “I better let Agent Gibbs help me, there is just no way I’ll be able to get you in your bed myself.” She straightened up and walked to the hallway. She was not surprised to find the agent still standing in the doorway. At least he seemed to be able to follow orders. “Well, what are you waiting for, an invite? Get in here and help me. We need to get Anthony in his bed.” She didn’t wait, but turned around and made her way back to where Tony was laying on the floor.

“Fuck,” Gibbs cursed. He had no idea if Mary’s words were enough to grant him access. He either would be able to step inside, or would have to find an excuse why he stayed outside. He should’ve called McGee, but he didn’t want to wait for the younger vampire to come back. He needed to see his mate - to make sure he was all right. Especially now that he heard how Mary’s heart rate increased and the note of worry in her voice. Gibbs closed his eyes, hoped that Mary wasn’t looking at him and took the single step.

“Took you long enough.” Mary spoke up not even bothering to turn around. She had taken the bottle from Tony’s limp fingers and placed it on the side table. She exited to the bathroom to get a cloth to wipe his face. “Get him on the bed and see if you can get him settled in.”

Gibbs didn’t say a word. He was still astonished at the fact that he’d managed to enter the apartment. He didn’t think Mary’s words would be enough. As Mary disappeared into the bathroom, Gibbs scooped Tony up and gently placed him on the bed. Tony reeked of alcohol. He held him up with one hand and managed to get Tony’s shirt out of his trousers and off his body. He hissed as he looked at the bandage wrapped around Tony’s waist. It was decorated with a few droplets of blood and for a moment Gibbs wanted to do nothing more than to breathe in the rich scent of his mate before he remembered where he was and he pulled himself back. Now was not the time.

“Oh, dear.” Mary’s voice sounded up next to him. She looked over his shoulder at bloodied bandage. “Get that off him, I will take a look at the wound.” She moved back into the bathroom to gather the necessary things. She found the first aid box in a side cupboard and took it back to the bedroom. “Good,” she placed the things on the bedside table and pushed Gibbs to the side. “Let me see what is going on.” She ignored the agent that she knew was glaring at her and continued to clean the wound. “The stitches are a bit roughed up, but there is no infection in the wound.” She cleaned it quickly and even soothed Tony as he whimpered in his alcohol-induced slumber. “Just going to cover it up with a dressing. I do not think it is necessary to cover it with a lot of bandages again.” She quickly covered the wound and then disappeared into the bathroom again to wash her hands. When she was done, she appeared next to Gibbs’ side.

Gibbs looked at the small woman next to her. Something in her eyes told him she was about to tell him something that in all likelihood he would not like. Gibbs couldn’t help but to move closer to Tony’s side.

A small smile appeared on Mary’s face when she saw the movement. “You are not mated yet, how long have you known that Anthony is your mate?”

It had been several decades since Gibbs found himself outted by a human. “You know about us?” He found himself asking the question even as he sat down on the bed, taking Tony’s hand in his.

Mary smiled. “It’s been a very long time since I had the pleasure of being in the company of a vampire, Agent Gibbs, but the way you hesitated in that doorway made me wonder. The fact that you didn’t try to come in, while any other person would have, confirmed it. I really didn’t want to grant you access to Anthony’s home, but you are his mate.” She smiled again.

“How do you know I’m his mate?” Gibbs asked surprised.

Mary tilted her head. “You do not know.” She sounded perplexed and shook her head. “Let me show you.” She made her way over to the bathroom and brought a small hand held mirror with her. “One of the things I believed in so many years ago was that vampires had no reflection. To say I was surprised to find out otherwise was a huge understatement. I only saw this look once before and that was many moons ago.” She held the mirror up to Gibbs’ face. It’s all in the eyes.”

Gibbs took the mirror and was surprised to see that his eyes were no longer only blue, but were stippled with flecks of grey and green. He blinked and when he looked again, it had disappeared. He’s only heard of the phenomena; the ability of bondmates’ eyes to change color to reflect their mate’s eye color in theirs. He ignored Mary’s comment and looked at her. “You are still human.”

Mary looked down. “I learned about true love and vampires, but I also learned about monsters.” She looked up. “A Slayer took my mate away from me. He would have killed me as well, but he could not. I was still human. I begged him to kill me, but he ignored me and walked away. He left me there where he killed my mate and just disappeared.” She wiped away the tears that rolled down her cheeks.

“If Anthony does not know what you are, or for that matter what you are to him, then tell him, Agent Gibbs. Make him yours and then keep him safe.” She moved towards Tony and kissed him on the forehead. “He will have a terrible headache tomorrow morning. Make sure he drinks lots of water.” She exited the room and came back with a bucket and some bottles of water. “Just in case. It’s also time for me to leave.” She held up her hand when Gibbs got to his feet. “Stay with him, I’ll let myself out.” She kissed Gibbs in the same manner and then left them in the bedroom.

Gibbs listened as she walked out of the apartment and closed the door behind her. Only then did he turn his attention back to the man sleeping next to him. He moved Tony over and settled in next to him. “I’m sorry I was too late. I should’ve realized earlier that you needed to freak out. I would’ve freaked out if it were me.” Gibbs smiled. “And I have something else to tell you as well, and yes, I’ll give you time to freak out, because you’re going to, of that I’m sure.”

Gibbs moved Tony so that the younger man’s head rested on his chest and closed his eyes. Until Tony woke up he had nothing else to do, so it was a good time to get some rest. Vampires did sleep, not as much as humans and they could go days without, but just like not drinking fresh blood, too little sleep made them cranky, sometimes even downright volatile. Gibbs didn’t want to be that son of a bitch - not around Tony.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

_Tony frowned at the eerie stillness that surrounded him. He had no idea where he was, or how he got there. He reached for his weapon and frowned when he found himself standing with just a wooden stake in his hand. “What the fuck?” Movement to his right made him spin around, but there was nothing. “Police, come out with your hands in the air!” Tony shouted, but didn’t move forward. He had no idea how to defend himself with the stake. Another movement caught his eye, this time to the left and he turned toward it. “Come out or I’ll shoot.” He hoped the bluff would work._

_“Fuck,” Tony cursed again. He had to find out where he was and what was going on. He reached for his phone, and found himself holding a few cloves of garlic. “This is fucking ridiculous.” He shouted out in frustration and froze as someone giggled. “Who’s there?” It felt strange to have the garlic and wooden stake in his hands._

_“Your worst nightmare,” a voice called before someone knocked him off his feet. It happened so fast he didn’t even have the time to react. With nothing to break his fall, he landed hard on his back; both the garlic and stake skidded in different directions._

_“Who are you?” Tony called out as he came to his feet. He had to get the stake at least that was some sort of a weapon. He couldn’t see how the garlic would be of any help. Tony realized that the lighting around him as also decreased. It was now more than gloomy and the light was still fading fast. Knowing that he couldn’t stay put, Tony moved forward, but without any warning, someone barreled into him, sending him to the floor again. This tumble was worse and he yelled out in pain as he landed on his wounded side._

_“Catch me if you dare, and you’ll find out.” The voice whispered in his ear and then it was quiet again._

_Tony had tried to see who his attacker was, but it was too dark. By the person’s build, he would say it was a man, but that was all he knew. He gingerly came to his feet. He knew he was a fool to go running after whoever this was, but He never shied away from danger before and he wasn’t going to start now. Tony looked around and saw what looked like a doorway to his left. He picked up the stake, left the garlic on the floor and made his way over. He gave one-step forward and frowned. He was no longer in the same room. It was lighter and he turned and saw the doorway a good few feet behind him. “I must be fucking dreaming.” Tony mumbled to himself._

_The next attack came as silently as the previous ones. This time it was even harder and Tony yelled in pain as it felt like the ribs on his right side had cracked. Immediately he was nauseous and heaved hard. “Still think it’s a dream, boy?” Something like a wet tongue swiped over his cheek and Tony shuddered. Even as he reached out to push his attacker away the man was nowhere in sight. It hurt to get up and Tony curled his arm protectively over his ribs. Once again, the stake was knocked out of his hand when he was taken down. Only this time it took him longer to find the weapon. It was as if it was trying to get away from him, even if it was merely wooden object._

_Tony heard a movement behind him and spun around. This time he was fast enough to see a glimpse of a man running through to another room. Once again, the moment Tony gave one step forward he was at the place he saw the man running from. “Creepy.” Tony looked around him. He saw a single crate lying in a corner, concentrated on it, and stepped forward. He landed right up next to it. “Cool,” he couldn’t help but to grin. He now knew he had to be dreaming, but even as he took a deep breath and tried to wake up, he was attacked again. This tumble to the ground was as bad as the previous one. “FUCK!” He shouted out and tried to get hold of his attacker, but the man only laughed and disappeared into nothingness._

_This time the stake he had, had disappeared totally. He reached into his pocket and found the garlic again. He rubbed the cloves between his fingers and dropped them back into his pocket. They were of no help. Tony concentrated and found himself back at the doorway. He looked around carefully and this time when he saw movement, he moved himself. Tony brought his attacker down this time. He pinned the man to the floor. “Who the fuck are you?” Tony asked as used one hand to throttle the man and the other to punch him squarely in the jaw._

_His attacker grinned. “I told you - your worst nightmare.” Before Tony could comprehend what was going on he screamed out in pain. He looked down and saw the wooden stake protruding from his thigh. His attacker had vanished again. He didn’t even feel him moving from underneath him._

_Blood covered his hands as he pressed his hand around the protruding piece of wood. He knew he shouldn’t pull it free, but there was no way he could keep it in and go after his attacker. Tony managed to free himself of his shirt took hold of the stake and yanked it free. It made him yell out again and spots formed before his eyes as he struggled to remain conscious. With trembling hands, he managed to bind his shirt around his throbbing leg. With difficulty, he managed to get to his feet. He couldn’t describe the shards of pain that shot up his leg, but he did manage to stifle another scream that threatened to escape his lips. It took him a few seconds not to keel over before he limped on deeper into the vast area that with every step he took looked never ending._

_Tony concentrated on the doorway again, but this time he tried something else and as he took his next step, he not only got where he wanted to be, but it was lighter as well. “If I can’t get out, then at least I can see where I am.” Tony shook his head. “Need to get out of this fucking dream!” He shouted out in frustration and was tackled again. He tried to push his attacker off, but the man was stronger than he was. At least now he was able to see him more clearly. “Gibbs?” Tony grunted as he got slammed into the hard floor, while the federal agent sat on him._

_“Gold star to you for observation, Tony.” Gibbs smiled as his face morphed into the monstrous one that Tony had seen before._

_“Get off me!” Tony tried to turn their bodies to throw Gibbs clear, but before he could try to move them, Gibbs had his arms pinned above his head, their crotches grinding against each other. A vicious grin showed Tony Gibbs’ fangs. “Get off me!” Tony tried to buck up but found it impossible. Instead, Gibbs leaned in and pushed his nose into the crook of Tony’s neck._

_“Smell so good, so yummy. Gonna taste so good. I’ve waited so long for this moment.” Gibbs licked Tony’s neck and then bit down. He groaned as the rich warm blood filled his mouth and slipped down his throat as he continued to suck._

_“NO!!!!!” Tony screamed and thrashed, but he felt himself going weak as his lifeblood left his body. Slowly he stopped struggling, his hips grinding upwards as the pain of the bite got replaced by pleasure as they rutted against one another, and just as darkness overtook light he found his release and he reached his orgasm, creaming himself and then he knew nothing more._

“Tony!” Gibbs called out frantic as the younger man started thrusting around in his bed. He tried to get Tony to wake up, but with no success. He rushed to the bathroom to get a cloth to wipe Tony’s face down when a heart-wrenching scream escaped from Tony’s lips and with a blur Gibbs found him back at Tony’s side.

He couldn’t find anything wrong, except that it was clear that Tony was trapped in some kind of nightmare. By the sounds of it, it was a bad one. “Come on, Tony, wake up. It’s only a dream, you’re safe, wake up, Tony, come on, wake up.” Gibbs brushed the sweaty hair from Tony’s face as he held the man close. He hated not being able to get Tony to snap out of the dream.

Tony screamed again and grabbed his leg. With some difficulty, Gibbs managed to pry his fingers away and was relieved to see that there was nothing wrong, although he didn’t know what he would’ve done if there had been something wrong. For the umpteenth time Gibbs wondered if he should call for help, but neither Abby nor McGee would be of any assistance, and Ducky wouldn’t have been able to come in. If he only took Mary’s number and if this place wasn’t fucking soundproof, he could’ve yelled out for her to come and help. Gibbs did the only thing he could think of. He held Tony close to him, even moving in behind him so that Tony was resting on his chest and tried everything in his power to get Tony to calm down.

Then whatever kind of dream Tony was caught in changed. He started rutting with his hips, while he arched his neck, showing the soft flesh with his pulse beating hard just beneath the firm skin right under Gibbs’ nose. Gibbs groaned. He didn’t need guess what Tony was dreaming about now. The way his breathing sped up, his hips fucking into something unseen and even his smell changed. Gibbs couldn’t help, his teeth elongated and he had to turn his head away as to not give into temptation and take what Tony so freely offered up to him. Tony was rutting faster, the sheet that covered him tented with his erection. Gibbs balled his hands into fists, in an attempt to reach out and touch, to help Tony reach his peak. “You’re killing me here, mate of mine. Please wake up.” Gibbs mumbled softly and reached with one hand to cup Tony’s face. When skin touched skin, it was as if an electricity storm erupted between them. Gibbs could feel the current run through them as Tony erupted, his scent masking any other scent that surrounded him. Gibbs grunted, he was as hard as steel himself. It felt like Tony’s orgasm went on and on. Finally, it ebbed down and Tony became still. Too still. With a trembling hand Gibbs reached out to feel for a pulse. He didn’t trust his ears; he had to feel it underneath his fingers. He sighed. Tony was alive. Not caring if Tony was getting sticky, or that his own cock was still hard, Gibbs moved Tony even closer to his chest and held him close as he let his own eyes shut and drifted off to sleep, hoping that when Tony finally came too, they’d be able to talk.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Ziva looked at her latest guest before she looked down at the three-inch gash she had on her forearm. It needed stitches and she frowned. It would not be the first time that she had to stitch herself, but it would be the first time she had to do it with her left hand. “Fucking monster,” she sneered and backhanded the unconscious vampire before she entered the small bathroom to tend to her wound. It took her longer than she thought and it would scar, but scars never bothered her before, and this one wouldn’t either. She cleaned the area she used after binding the final bandage over her arm.

She hissed as she reached up to tie her hair into a ponytail and straightened her shirt. Without much thought to the rest of her appearance, she approached the still unconscious vampire. Ziva circled the man slowly. The little hair he still had was grey, but professionally groomed. She knew he had blue eyes and stood at six feet two inches in his socks. He was also one of the oldest bloodsuckers in the US and one of the two heads of the vampire council. She couldn’t help but to grin. She had managed to capture Tom Morrow and she would finally get the answers she was looking for. But first - first she had to get her new toy to wake up. Ziva reached for the cattle prod and pressed it hard against the vampire’s side. The reaction she got was instantaneous. The vampire awoke with a scream on his lips as his body seized continuously until she pulled the prod away and he slumped heavily in the chains that held him prisoner.

Ziva looked on as she waited for the vampire to get his breath back before she struck him again. She loved the reaction she got, it made her want more and since he managed to slash her arm, she wanted to repay him in kind by making him suffer. The screams continued on until Morrow no longer had air left in his lungs and only then did she lift the prod. “That’s for my arm, fucker.” Ziva finally threw the cattle prod onto the lopsided workbench that held all of her torturing tools.

Ziva gaze found the darkened spots on the concrete floor and smiled at them. She was responsible for each drop of blood on the floor. She could smell the coppery tinge in the air from all of the blood that spilled here. She returned her attention to the vampire hanging from the chains. “I have a few questions for you, but before you get your hopes up of leaving here if you answered them, let me put it to you straight. You are going to die here, bloodsucker, but I’m will to give you a choice in how you die.” Ziva stopped in front of her captive and gripped his face hard with her hand. “Quick or slow, choose.” She didn’t say anything else.

The hot blood filled spit that landed on her cheek was the only answer she received and Ziva smiled. “Suits me fine, I’ve got so many new ideas I want to try out, so I ought to be thanking you for not taking the easy option.” Ziva smiled, but the smile never reached her eyes. Instead, she reached behind her and picked up a thin looking metal rod with a wooden handle, it looked like a meat skewer. She supposed at one stage it was one, but now it had a different purpose. She stepped up to the hanging vampire, pressed the thin rod against his left side, between the six and the seventh rib, and held it steady. “Tell me all about Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Anthony DiNozzo.” She smirked as the vampire jerked slightly at the mention of the last name. “Yes, you know something, so do tell.” Ziva knew she wasn’t patient, but she waited a full thirty seconds and when she was sure she was not going to receive any answer she pressed the rod in and smiled as the first whimper reached her ears. She was going to love taking this bloodsucker apart.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

He must’ve dozed off as his eyes flickered open. Something had woken him and for a moment, he had no idea what it was, but then the sound penetrated his senses and he realized that it was DiNozzo’s phone. Gibbs looked around but didn’t see the object of his irritation anywhere in the room. He managed to get to his feet and went looking for the offending phone. He found it in the living room beneath the large couch that filled most of the living room. He stood and frowned at the number, it was McGee’s. For a moment, he didn’t know what to do, before he pressed the button and brought the phone to his ear.

“What do you want, McGee?” Gibbs couldn’t help but to sound grumpy.

 _“Gibbs?”_ McGee cleared his throat. _“I’m looking for Tony, Boss. We’ve been called out to a scene.”_

“Related to ours?” Gibbs asked even as he made his way back to Tony’s room. He didn’t want to wake the human up, but he knew Tony would kill him if he didn’t let him do his work.

 _“Not sure. Captain just called and wanted us to attend the scene.”_ Tim explained.

Gibbs looked down at the still sleeping human and sighed. “Send the address, we’ll meet you there.” He ended the call before McGee could reply and focused his attention on the sleeping man. “Let’s get you up.” Gibbs placed the phone on the side table next to the bed and retreated to the kitchen where he started making coffee. He also found the aspirin and poured Tony a fresh glass of water before heading back to the room. He placed the items down and called out to the sleeping man. He smiled as Tony snuggled deeper into the comforter without waking up.

“Up and at ‘em, DiNozzo.” Gibbs used his Gunnery Sergeant voice to raise the sleeping man. He hid a smile as Tony’s head snapped up a scowl on his face.

“What the fuck?” Tony hissed, as he looked around blurry. He frowned and then his eyes landed on the vampire. “Gibbs?” He gingerly reached for his head.

“We’ve got much to talk about, but McGee called. You’ve been summoned to a crime scene.” Gibbs picked up the water and aspirin and handed it over to the still staring human.

“How did you get into my apartment? I thought you could only enter if I invited you in?” Tony asked as he took the offered pain blockers and water. He swallowed it quickly, but made no attempt to get out of bed.

“I met your neighbor, Mary.” Gibbs smiled. “I didn’t think it would work, but it did.” He saw the look on Tony’s face. “It’s a long story, but she knows about vampires, Tony. She herself had a vampire mate.”

Tony frowned at the information. “Mary’s human.”

“She is indeed. Gibbs stepped away from the bed. “I’ll let you get dressed in peace.” He didn’t wait for a reply but exited the room quietly.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Tony couldn’t help but to look at Gibbs’ retreating back. He didn’t want to think what Gibbs was doing here, or what he saw when he got here. Just thinking about it now made his head hurt even more. He got out of bed and steadied himself when he was hit with vertigo. Once the dizzy feeling passed, he got into the shower and frowned when he saw the hardened evidence of his own release on his skin, the memories of the previous night’s dream slammed into him. “Fuck,” Tony leaned against the wall in an attempt to keep himself upright. He shook his head as the memories kept on running through his mind. First the attack, then finding out that it was Gibbs himself trying to kill him, in fact, draining him of his blood but at the same time taking him so high through his own release. Tony’s hands trembled as he stepped away from the wall. He couldn’t think about what he dreamed about now. He had to concentrate on doing his job. For a moment he closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath, pushing back all of his fears and other unwelcome emotions. When he felt in control of himself, he opened his eyes and started to wash himself mechanically. He ignored the injury to his side, didn’t waste time to clean it and got dressed in record time as well. When he stood in front of the mirror to make sure his tie was straight, he couldn’t help but to lift his hand to the place where in his dream Gibbs slammed his fangs into his neck. The skin was unblemished, but to Tony it felt over sensitive, even bruised.

“Tony?” Gibbs voice sounded through the closed door and Tony took a deep breath to steady himself.

“Coming.” He retrieved his firearm out of the safe and picked up his badge, which he pinned to his belt. Without looking at his reflection again, he opened the door and stepped out. He knew he would have to talk to Gibbs again. He had a feeling the vampire knew he’d freaked out, but what else was he supposed to do.? Any normal human being would’ve freaked out at what he’d seen. He took a deep breath, hoped he didn’t freak out again and then he was ready to face the day. Something in his demeanor must’ve told Gibbs not to ask questions. The vampire stayed quiet as they exited the apartment together.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

The scene that greeted them could only be described as one of total chaos. Gibbs could smell the fear as he opened his door. It made him grab hold of Tony’s arm and pulled him back into the car. “Don’t go anywhere without McGee or myself at your side.”

At first, Tony wanted to reply with a snarky comment, but something in Gibbs’ voice made him rethink his words. “I’ll be careful.”

“Good.” Gibbs let go of Tony’s arm and stepped out of the vehicle. He held up his identification and stooped to pass through the barrier tape that kept the noisy crowd at bay. He waited for Tony to step up next to him before they continued to where McGee stood. Next to him was the Commissioner of Police himself and Gibbs’ arched his brow. It’d been a few years since he last saw the man and he couldn’t help to wonder if he was still an ass like years earlier.

“Commissioner Franklin,” Tony greeted his boss with a sharp salute. He waited until he was acknowledged, before he continued. “This is Special Agent Gibbs,” he introduced the man next to him.

Franklin nodded his head. “We know each other.” He didn’t acknowledge Gibbs directly.

Tony looked at McGee and then at Gibbs. Noting that they were not going to say anything he cleared his throat. “I assume it was you, Commissioner, who summoned us here.” He pulled on the pair of gloves McGee held out to him and passed Gibbs the second pair.

The commissioner nodded his head. “You are my best detective, DiNozzo. I want this solved and I wanted it solved ASAP.” He indicated with his head to the front door of the house that stood wide open. “Don’t disappoint me, DiNozzo.” He didn’t look at either McGee or Gibbs as he walked away.

Tony looked as the commissioner made his way over to where the press was gathered to address them. “Let’s get this show on the road.” He didn’t wait for the two vampires at his side but made his way over to the house. The first thing he noticed was that even the more senior police officers looked green around the gills. He turned to face McGee as his partner stepped up next to him. “Who lives here?”

McGee sighed. “More of who _lived_ here, now.” He looked up at the second story home before he replied. “The Benedict family. Markus Benedict, his wife Julia, and their twin daughters Jessica and Jennifer. Julia’s mother also stayed with the family, Augusta Pringle.” McGee swallowed hard before he continued. “Both the women as well as the two girls were raped and sodomized before they were viscously torn apart. Markus Benedict was skinned alive. That’s all I could gather from the ME so far.” His voice ended in a mere whisper.

While McGee explained what they were dealing with, Tony’s gaze rested on Gibbs. As McGee continued to talk, he could see the tension settle onto Gibbs’ shoulders and had a feeling that the smallest thing would make the vampire snap. He himself was filled with fury. He had no reason to believe that whoever killed this family was vampire. If what McGee said was the truth, then no human could’ve done it. He had no idea how they were going to keep this out of the media.

“Let’s go in.” Tony straightened his shoulders and took the last two steps up to the large dark red wooden door. The first thing he smelled was blood, it was as if he had to step through a thick veil of the coppery essence before he was inside the large front hall and immediately Tony wished he could step back outside again. Automatically his hand came up to cover his mouth and nose as he had to concentrate on not puking right there. The stench alone made his hangover worse, but it was the visuals that threatened to pull him down to his knees.

“Fuck,” Tony didn’t even bother in keeping the revulsion out of his voice. He turned his attention to the young patrol officer standing to the side guarding the scene. He had no idea what the young man had done to deserve this punishment, he must’ve pissed his sergeant off heartily. “Where’s the ME?” He ignored the green tinge around the officer’s mouth.

“Through there, Detective.” The officer indicated to a doorway that lead to the side.

Tony took one more look at the scene, nodded at the officer and turned to find another entrance to the room pointed out without needing to move through the primary crime scene itself. He found the ME as well as the local photographer and a team of the CSI standing around looking dazed. “What can you tell me Doc?” He approached the photographer and held out his hand for the man to pass his camera. He had worked with the investigator before so he had no problems in getting the equipment handed over to him. He listened contently as he clicked through the photos.

The ME cleared his throat before he spoke up. “It’s the worst I’ve ever seen in my life, DiNozzo and you know for how many years I’ve been working as ME. From my première findings, I can tell you that Mr. Benedict was the last to die. You have seen how the bodies were positioned in that room. It is my submission that he was forced to watch as the rest of his family was slaughtered. As you are already aware, he was skinned alive, but should you take a closer look you can still see the staples used to keep his eyes opened.” The ME paced the room. “It’s also clear that the two women were forced to watch the girls die. Their eyelids were also stapled so that they couldn’t close their eyes. The girls were both raped and sodomized – repeatedly. The damage done to them I cannot describe. They were totally broken but not killed. They were still alive when their bodies were mauled. And yes, I know, it’s a strange word to use, but that’s what happened. They were eaten alive, although I’ve never seen such a set of teeth marks from any human before.” The ME turned and faced Tony. “They were not killed by an animal, DiNozzo; they were killed by monsters – the human kind.” He cleared his throat. “Both the women were also raped repeatedly, but whereas the children were torn apart, they were meticulously cut into pieces, dissected perfectly. Once again, they were alive through most of it. As I said before, Markus Benedict was indeed skinned alive and great care was taken to keep him alive. He would’ve died eventually, but that the skinning is not the COD in his case.” The ME cleared his throat again and dragged a trembling hand across his face. “His heart was removed and it’s yet to be found.”

Tony looked over as one of the CSI personnel ducked out of the room and he heard him retch in the hall. Tony couldn’t blame him for one second. He nodded his head at the ME and turned to the CSI unit. “You still busy?”

The lead investigator nodded his head. “We did a preliminary sweep, but were told to wait for you.”

“Good, let’s start at the bottom and work our way up.” Tony turned around and headed out again. “Point of entry?” He asked over his shoulder.

“As far as we have established it seemed to be the front door. The backdoor is still secure and no evidence of tampering was found.”

Tony groaned at the information. It meant that any possible evidence was already trampled into nothingness. He could only hope they’d be able to find more evidence as they worked the scene. As he pondered the case, he pulled his notebook out to make some notes. He reached for his own small digital camera and as they started working through the house, he took some photos and made notes. Mostly they worked in silence and Tony blocked out everything around him, except for what he was doing.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

It took them over seven hours just to go through the whole house. By that time, Tony was exhausted, his hangover had given way to a migraine, which Tony knew he’d ignored for far too long and that no amount of down time would cure it. Already he wondered if he had a Medipen in the car before he remembered that Gibbs drove them over. He couldn’t help but to groan.

“You all right?” Tim’s voice sounded up next to him.

Tony nodded in the affirmative and then groaned as he realized his mistake. He was nauseous and had to swallow hard not to barf on Tim’s shoes. “I’m fine, McGee.” He didn’t have the energy to even cock an eyebrow when Tim snorted at his answer.

“You’re not fine, Tony. Even a blind man could see you’re not fine.” Tim spoke softly, not wanting Tony to be in more pain, but he wasn’t surprised when Gibbs appeared next to them in seconds.

“What’s wrong?” Gibbs asked and wanted to slap himself for not noticing how pale Tony had become. “Your side bothering you?” He had to reach for Tony as the detective swayed dangerously.

“Not his side,” McGee spoke up even before Tony could do so himself. “Migraine.” He sighed. “Do you need a Medipen?” By Tony’s look, he had a feeling that no oral medication would help.

“Unless there’s one in your car, McMedic, then no, I don’t have one.” Tony whispered, the pounding of his head steadily increasing with each breath he took.

“You need to sit down, Tony.” McGee gently took Tony by the arm, as he knew touching Tony while his partner had a migraine was never a good thing, but he hated the way Tony kept on swaying. He didn’t think Tony would appreciate it if he face planted right in the middle of a scene.

Tony had no idea how he managed it, but he straightened out. “We need to get this finished first.” The tone of voice made it clear that he would not be swayed otherwise.

“You’re an ass, Tony.” McGee offered his opinion but moved away from the human, as he knew he would not be able to persuade Tony. He picked up a family photo and frowned. “Where’s the dog?” He held out the photo for Tony to have a look.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs worked the scene side by side with Tony and Timothy. It was good to see just how well his future mate and the younger vampire worked together - they were a well-oiled machine. He had noted how pale Tony had become, but was under the impression that it was the hangover Tony suffered from and that the stench of the blood did nothing to relieve the pain. He was also distracted. He had been trying to get hold of Ducky, but with no success and it was starting to piss him off. Ducky knew about rule he had – never be unreachable. He reached for his phone again, when he heard Timothy asked if Tony was all right. With one step, he found himself right next to Tony and was shocked to hear that Tony apparently suffered from migraines, severe enough for him to use medical injections to get relief from the pain.

Gibbs wanted to speak up, to hear more about the migraines, but Tim’s question placed a halt on his train of thought. He took the photo from McGee and took a closer look. He had a feeling he knew what had happened to the dog. The absence of the dog sealed the whole scene for Gibbs. Vampires were responsible for this massacre and the dog just made it clear that they were dealing with European vampires. It cemented the feeling he had all along – all the killings he investigated were the work of the European brood. They were up to their old tricks yet again. He handed the photo to Tony. “It became dessert.” He wanted to explain when his phone buzzed in the inside of his jacket. He peeled off the gloves and reached for the phone.

“Gibbs,” he answered abruptly and frowned when he heard Abby’s teary voice in his ear. “Slow down, Abby, I can’t hear you.” He walked away from the two detectives as he tried to calm his niece down. He looked over his shoulder as the two stared at him and indicated that he would return shortly.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Tony looked on as Gibbs answered his phone and started talking to Abby before he turned to face McGee. “What does he mean it became dessert?”

McGee shuddered hard. “There are some vampires that are of the belief that dogs should not be kept as pets, but that they are more of a delicacy – primarily enjoyed after a large feeding on humans.” He swallowed hard. Even as a vampire he found it wrong.

“Oh fuck,” Tony had turned a deeper shade of green and stumbled away from McGee. He had to get out of there, it had become too much. Not bothering to care who he shoved out of the way, or indicating to Tim that he heard the frantic note in Tim’s voice as his partner called out to him, Tony finally made it out of the house as he stumbled across the perfectly trimmed lawn. The rosebush would never be the same again, but after a few minutes, he was able to right himself and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. The bottle of water that appeared in his hand came as a surprise and he nodded his head in thanks using the water to rinse before taking a few deep swallows to quench his thirst.

“Thanks McGee.” Tony capped the bottle and took some deep breaths. He was surprised to see just how many of the media were still present even after so many hours. “They really are a bunch of vultures.” He shook his head. “Close the house up, McGee; we’ve done what we can for now.” The ME had removed the bodies’ hours ago and the rest of the investigation team had left as well. It was time for them to go to the office to start sifting through what they had. He saw Tim’s car parked a few houses from the murder scene. “Tell Gibbs to go home.” He said over his shoulder as he made his way to the car. He would’ve loved to go home, but he knew that he would not see the inside of his apartment again until this case was solved. It would also give him the chance to think, not that he was capable of thinking about anything at that moment in time, but he knew McGee longer and had a feeling he’d be able to deal with McGee better than he would’ve Gibbs.

Tony ignored the questions shouted out to him by the reporters and was glad that the patrol units still on duty were able to keep them away. He gingerly made his way over to the car, his head continued to throb, now in rhythm with his footsteps. He would have to medicate once he got to the precinct and take a few hours of downtime in one of the empty offices before he could continue with the case.

Tony was so focused on placing the one foot in front of the other, that he never saw the attack before it was too late. Something slammed into his side and just like the previous week, he found himself on the ground with someone on top of him. The face that stared up at him was contorted into a fierce mask, except that it wasn’t a mask as the realization hit him hard. He was being attacked by a vampire. Tony tried to reach for his weapon, but the vampire was fast – faster than what he’d ever seen before and even before he could reach out, his firearm was pulled from the holster and thrown to the side. Tony snarled and tried to lash out with his fists, but found himself screaming in agony as his arm was twisted violently, the shoulder popping out of its socket in one single move. Through the layers of pain Tony became aware of the fact that he was pulled up by the front of his shirt and literally tossed like a ragdoll against Timothy’s car. He felt his ribs crack at the moment of impact and he shouted again. Before he could catch his breath, he was picked up again and it was then that he became aware of a car next to him before he was tossed like a sack of potatoes into the trunk. He hit his head on something hard and everything became black. He was unaware of the fact that the whole attacked was captured on camera and broadcast live, nor was he aware of the fact that Timothy was screaming out his name as the car he got dumped into sped off.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

“Slow down, Abby, I can’t hear you.” Gibbs had to repeat the words, before Abby finally listened and took a deep breath. What she told him turned his already cold blood even colder. “Are you sure, Abby?” Gibbs’ legs gave way and he landed hard on the wooden floor.

 _“I’m positive, Gibbs. Please, you need to get back here, please.”_ Abby was sobbing hard.

“FUCK!” Gibbs yelled out as he got to his feet, the feeling of utter despair displaced by anger. “I’m on my way, Abby, just stay put.” Gibbs ended the call and was about to call out to Tony and McGee when he became aware of the commotion on the outside. He ran outside and what he saw had him in rage. He could feel his face transform into his true form as Tony’s body was dumped into a car and it sped off. Even running at his fastest speed, Gibbs knew he wouldn’t have been able to keep up, but he still had to try. Nothing could stop him from screaming out Tony’s name as the car disappeared in the distance.

“TONY!!!”


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_‘To accept pain is to have the ability to accept yourself. If you do not accept yourself, you cannot accept pain. This is a rule of nature; a rule of life itself; a rule, not easily learned and even less understood.’_

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**2 Days Later: Special Agency’s HQ**

Tobias squeezed the bag of blood into his best friend’s mouth, not caring that the vampire beneath him was attempting to buck him off. “You will fucking feed, even if I have to do this each and every fucking time. He took another bag and ripped it open, changing the bags as if he did something like this a million times. Without missing a beat, he emptied the second bag of blood into Gibbs’ mouth as well, before he finally climbed off from where Gibbs laid shackled on the narrow bed.

“I’ll untie you when you’ve calmed down and not before then.” Tobias cleaned his hands and then took another bag of blood for himself, sucking it dry and tossing it to the side. He looked at the thrusting vampire and couldn’t help but to be concerned. _‘Two days, two fucking days.’_ He thought to himself and sighed. He heard about things going belly up in a short space of time, but the fuckup that they found themselves in, could not be described as merely going belly up. He looked at Gibbs again; it finally looked as if his friend was calming down.

“You ready to let me untie you?” Tobias asked even as he got to his feet and closed the distance between them again. “I will not hesitate to take you down should you try your shit again.” He warned before releasing the first of the restraints that kept the vampire pinned to the bed. He stood back and looked on as Gibbs sat up. “You doing okay?” He hated the haunted look that shadowed Gibbs’ eyes.

At first he thought that Gibbs was going to ignore him, but then the vampire spoke up. Tobias cringed at the sound of Gibbs’ voice.

“I’m fine.” Gibbs used the back of his hand to wipe his mouth clean from the blood that spilled when Tobias forced-fed him. He looked around the tiny space he was kept in. “The fucking sub-basement?” He turned and started pacing.

Tobias shrugged. “It was the best we could come up with.” He cleared his throat. “You gave us quite a scare, Jethro.” He lowered his head. “If there was anyone who doubted that Tony was your mate, then I would say those doubts had been laid to rest.”

Gibbs kept on pacing without responding. Finally, he came to a halt. “I can feel him, Tobias.” He pointed to his chest and moved his hand to his head. “Here as well. He’s screaming out to me, and I’ve got no fucking clue where he is.” Gibbs sounded exhausted.

Tobias looked at his friend. He was at a loss for words. He only had heard about what Gibb was describing. In certain instances, but more so in bondmates of vampires and humans, the vampire could feel the presence of his bondmate even if they were not together. Rumor had it that the stronger the pairing the stronger the bond between mates. Having also been informed that that Gibbs was the _Tatell_ and one of the reasons he acted so vehemently, together with the fact that Tony already displayed a strong empathy gift made it more likely that Gibbs would be able to feel Tony.

“We’ll find him, Jethro.” Tobias passed another bag of blood to his friend. “You’re going to need your strength.” He held the bag out patiently until Gibbs finally took it out of his hand.

“What’s going on topside? How did you find me?” Gibbs raised his eyes as if he could see through the layers of concrete that kept him apart from the world outside.

Tobias groaned at the question. It was one that he didn’t want to answer, but he also knew Gibbs had the right to know what was going on. He took a deep breath and sat down heavily on the vacated twin bed. “Total chaos.” He couldn’t help but to shudder as the events of the last two days assaulted his memory. With a whisper, he started explaining…

“You freaking out, was not the only things those vultures managed to record. The vampires responsible for taking Tony made sure that they were quite visible to every camera, smartphone or tablet that recorded each moment of the attack, but none lifted a finger to assist. They made sure that their true forms were seen.” Tobias swallowed again.

“McGee tried to stop you, but you transformed yourself and set off after them. Where the true forms of the vampires could be explained as very realistic masks, the speed you used to move could not be explained. Not to those reporters in any case, and the moment they and their recordings hit the airwaves, we were up shit creek.” Tobias snickered. “The powers that be were asking for your head, saying that you were out of control, that you needed to be captured and taken care off. They didn’t even want to pursue Tony’s abduction any further, wanting to make it off as some publicity stunt, but the media wouldn’t fall for it. They identified Tony and within the first few hours of the first clippings hitting the news and social media everyone out there knew who Anthony DiNozzo was. The matter could no longer just be swept up and forgotten about.”

“People started to panic, taking about aliens, monsters. Of course, there were those who immediately called for the total annihilation of all other living beings, never mind that there was no official statement released on any of this. People just decided to take matters in their own hands and neighbors started naming each other as vampires, witches, even werewolves. In a few instances neighbors tried killing neighbors, but up and until this morning, no deaths have been reported.”

“How is it that I’m still alive?” Gibbs asked. He was well aware that the moment he made himself known to the world, the council had the right to forfeit his life, it didn’t matter who he was.

“Ducky.” Tobias replied with a smile before he became somber again. “With Morrow missing, and assumed in the hands of our other serial killer, Ducky stepped up as Elder and took the council to task. He walked right over them and when the White House tried to put in their two cents he had Abby collect all of the old scriptures and in detail explained to them just who you really are. Since they knew about the existence of our kind they couldn’t ignore this information and we were allowed to find you and bring you back.” He found Gibbs’ eyes on him. “I’ve never been so scared in my life for you, Jethro. I was not sure when we’d find you; where we’d find you.”

Gibbs offered no reply and Tobias continued his explanation. “Abby managed to trace your phone, but it took a long time as you kept on moving so fast between the different signal towers, that she couldn’t get a proper location for you.” Tobias rubbed his hand over his face. “It was a difficult time for her and McGee. McGee had to deal with the media right there and then; he couldn’t even go after you. Abby was distraught as not only was Tom missing, but you AND Tony disappeared. But, she’d managed to pull herself together and between her and McGee we finally got a fix on you. Tony’s captain was at this stage together with the Commissioner and informed about who and what you are and what your relationship is with Tony. The captain took it well, the Commissioner on the other hand – not well at all. He wanted to find you and kill you, hell he wanted to kill Tony off as well, saying that you and _your_ kind were a threat to society and needed to be eradicated immediately. Luckily for us, nothing came of this as the mayor got involved and fired the Commissioner’s ass.” Tobias snickered again. “Still don’t know if Franklin realized that the mayor is also a vampire.” He passed another bag of blood to Gibbs and took the last one in the cooler for himself.

“As I explained, we finally got a fix on you and when we found you, I wanted to kill you myself.” Tobias growled and had to ball his hand into a fist as not to slap Gibbs on the back of his head. “You’d run yourself to ground, not caring about feeding in the whole sixteen hours we had been trying to trace you. Between myself, Abby and McGee we realized that it was almost a month since you last fed and that you were totally in the grips of a bloodlust. We could not reason with you. You wanted to kill anyone that tried to come near you and at the same time, you kept on calling out to Tony. You were too weak to move properly, but it still took me, McGee and three other vampires to take you down. We managed to get you in here where you’ve been in a state of fury, demanding to be released one second, the next totally unresponsive. You also refused to take any blood. It didn’t matter in which form it was, you didn’t want to feed.”

“That’s when you forced-fed me.” Gibbs stated it as a fact.

“Yes, and if you ever do this to me again, I will personally stake you.” Fornell couldn’t help to let the anger and fear he still felt within simmer through his words.

Gibbs bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Tobias. I am truly sorry.”

“I know you are, Gibbs. I wouldn’t have been any better off than you in that situation. Now, you’re fed, you’re awake, and it’s time for you to do two things. The one I know you would have no problem with, the other I have a feeling we’ll have to drag you kicking and screaming to do that.”

Gibbs knew what Tobias was getting at and he scowled. “I need to find my mate.”

“ _You_ need to accept your responsibility first.”

“NO! My mate comes first.”

“NO, Gibbs, your duty comes first and then your mate.” Tobias knew he was being unfair to say that to his best friend, but if they wanted to get Tony back, Gibbs had to step up to the plate and acknowledge not only whom he was, but also what he was. It was time for the Vampire community to finally step out of the dark and join the human race.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Tony awoke from a dream of pain to a nightmare in reality. He was chained to a pipe that ran across the ceiling, heavy chains keeping him from moving around. His feet dangled about a foot from the floor. He could make out the pulley system that was used to pull him up, and he also remembered the attack. His shoulder throbbed as shards of pain travelled up and down his arm. It was still out of the socket. The headache he had, together with the nausea made him believe that he was suffering from a possible concussion. Tony tried to pull himself up with the chains to relieve the pressure, but found the task to be impossible with his dislocated shoulder. He looked down and shivered as he realized he was naked.

Tony wanted to panic, but pushed the feeling down. Losing his marbles now would not be a good idea. He closed his eyes and then wished he didn’t as the last memories of what had happened to him flooded back. “Vampires,” he breathed the word and shivered again. He had no idea why they would take him, and why they would do it so publicly, but they did.

“This is going to be a shitty situation.” He mumbled to himself. From what he’d seen when Gibbs tackled that man, Tony knew he had little chance of winning. Unless, some sort of miracle happened, he was screwed.

“SHIT!” Tony couldn’t help but to shout in his frustration. As he wasn’t one for giving up, he looked around the area he was in. It was a large room, divided by what looked to be drywall panels. The floor was concrete and the windows were high up, higher than what he’d be able to jump. There was one door, directly in front of him. Except for the pipe that ran across the length of the room, the pulley system and the chains he hung from, the room was empty. He looked up at the chains again. If he could get himself off the pipe, he might be able to use the chain as a weapon, either to strangle his attackers or to swing it at them, trying to keep them from him while at the same time causing them some injuries. Deep within himself, he knew his chance of success was slim. Vampires were extremely fast, so he had no idea of any of his possible ideas would even work.

Tony looked up when the door opened and two men - no, vampires - walked in. They were both light in complexion. The one on the left was tall and skinny. The other was more muscled, but definitely not fat. The skinny one had tackled him and Tony couldn’t help but to be worried. If the skinny one was so strong, just how strong would the other one be?

“Our pet is awake, Gunter.” Olaf said with a smile as he quickly closed the distance between them and Tony. He went directly to the pulley and lowered Tony so that the man stood on his own feet. The pulley rigged in such a manner, that even though Tony now stood, his arms still stretched beyond a degree of comfort and he was unable to pull them down. Olaf went over to Tony and trailed a finger over Tony’s skin. His nails were filed so that they looked like claws and he didn’t bother with keeping the movement soft, instead he used enough pressure to leave dark red marks behind. He knew if he’d gone over the same marks again the skin would break and the blood would flow.

“I’m no one’s pet,” Tony snarled. He hated the way both vampires stared at him and when the one without a name touched him, he had to do everything in his power to remain still. The vampire’s touch hurt and felt cold.

Both vampires ignored him as they continued to talk to one another. “Our pet is very ill mannered, Olaf. Typical of these so-called ‘humans’. They do not know their place; they have forgotten what it is to serve.” Gunter spoke up. “I know we like a bit of feistiness from our pets, but they should never talk.” Without breaking eye contact with Olaf, Gunter reached out, grabbed hold of the human’s shaft and balls, and crushed them in his large hand. He kept the pressure on, tightening his fist around the genitals, grinning as the human continued to scream. Only when Tony hung breathlessly between his chains and could only continue to whimper in pain did he take his hand away. He patted the human on the head. “There, there, you’ll learn, and if you don’t, well, I’ve got all the time in the world to teach you.” Gunter grinned from ear to ear and laughed as he reached out and squeezed Tony’s genitals again, making the human writhe around in new pain.

Getting your cock and balls squeezed can be a turn on in the right circumstances. Getting the living daylight squeezed out of them, even worse than getting them caught in a vice grip was pure torture. When the hand encircled his cock, Tony prepared himself for the pain and thought he’d be able to work through it, without a sound, but he had never experienced such pain and he could do only one thing and that was to scream. Tears streamed down his cheeks even before his voice gave way. He trembled from head to toe; his genitals throbbed in pure agony. It was fortunate that there was no bone; it would’ve been broken by the crush. He knew it would be severely bruised and he couldn’t help worrying about possible permanent damage. The whimper that followed and the way he tried to move away when the vampire reached out to him again made him feel week, but he couldn’t help it.

Olaf barked out laughing as their human tried to move away from Gunter’s hand. “We’re going to have fun in breaking you down. And make no mistake, we will break you.” Using his nails again, he dragged his fingers over Tony’s skin again, this time drawing blood and groaning in pleasure as the human’s intoxicating smell released into the air. He took a good whiff and his eyes grew large. “You’re more than just a human aren’t you?” He looked over at Gunter seeing that his _brother_ also smelled what he did. He grinned again as Gunter’s hand curled around the human’s pathetic looking cock. “And let me guess, those pathetic mongrels on this side of the ocean didn’t realize just what you are.” He slapped Gunter on the arm. “This is going to be more fun than we originally planned. This will surely bring them to their knees. Our race will once again be unified under the old banner, and humans will become what they’ve always been – slaves.”

Tony only managed to catch a few of the words Olaf said. Their accent heavy, but the one called Olaf had his nails embedded into Tony’s skin, while the other’s hand again curled around his cock. Both were hurting him, making it almost impossible to hear what they had to say as he concentrated not to lose a very hard battle in staying conscious.

Gunter took another whiff of Tony as he released him and walked around him. “You’re not claimed. They are so fucking stupid.” He looked over at Olaf. “He’ll be perfect for the taking. We might not be able to claim him fully for ourselves, but we will still be able to break him. He will still belong to us; he will obey our every order and be the perfect pet.”

“We’ll ruin him, they will never take him back and their bloodline will grow extinct and this time it will stay extinct as once we take him, and claim him against his will, he would no longer be able take the cock of another, even of his own bondmate and therefor never be able to bear children. He would be as useless as a bottle of sand in the desert.” Gunter circled Tony again before coming to a halt at his back and pressing his body flush with Tony’s. “It’s going to be our pleasure in making sure you’re never ever fit to be the mate of the _Tatell_.”

“And the best thing ever? Without the _Tatell_ being able to claim you as his bondmate, he will have no claim to the throne. Just another blow to them and our _Sires_ will reward our efforts and raise us up to be part of the Elite.” Olaf smiled again, his hand around his own cock, stroking himself to hardness. “I think it’s time we introduced our pet to the vampire style of making love – fucking while he took what we offered and receive nothing in return.”

Their words made no sense. He couldn’t understand what they said about him baring children. He was a man - of course he couldn’t bear children. And what the hell did their _Tatell_ have to do with him? Tony tensed up as they continued talking and he realized what they were going to do. As the vampire came to a halt behind him and pressed his body against Tony’s, Tony began to fight. It was all that he could do.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Two weeks later: undisclosed location**

Tom Morrow knew he was going to die. It had taken him a while to realize that fact, but now he saw it as the truth. He already felt weakened beyond the point of return. He barely managed to lift his head as his tormentor strode into the torture chamber. He had no idea how long he had been there, but in between her _visits_ he had ample opportunity to see the different tools she had.

Everything was always neatly stacked, either against the cold, damp walls, on shelves or in drawers. She had very good self-discipline as she cleaned all of her weapons after each session. Morrow couldn’t help to shudder as his eyes landed on some of the tools she already used on him. She had managed to inflict some serious damage to his torso, which would’ve healed if treated and if he had fed, but since none of those things happened, the burns festered, oozing puss and smelled rotten. She had the tendency to push her fingers into the deeper wounds opening them up again just for fun.

He met her stare straight on as she stood before him. A sneer appeared on her face, and Tom knew from past experience that that smirk meant she was going to hurt him even more. Still, he couldn’t help but to taunt her. “Human, come to bore me again, have you?”

Morrow had to remain stoic even after the slap landed on his cheek. Her reaction was predictable; she always reverted to violence the moment something did not go her way. He would never tell her that, but she would’ve made the perfect interrogator, if it weren’t for the fact that she was clearly unstable. He kept his gaze on her. “The suspense is killing me, how are you going to torture me today?” It was the same question he asked her every time, it normally threw her into a fit of rage and this time was no exception as she used her fists on him and made use of him as her personal punching bag. He couldn’t help to let the moans and groans escape, but as before, he never screamed out in pain when she assaulted him like that.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Ziva wanted nothing more than to slit the vampire’s neck that was strung up before her. He was an arrogant prick, who’d taunted her with every word he uttered, not breaking, no matter what she did. She knew he was dying. His wounds no longer healed as they supposed to, instead they smelled horrid and even she found it a bit squeamish to touch them, but she would never let him know that. But today she would take it all the way. She would get what she wanted and this vampire would not breathe another breath when she was done. When she attacked him with her fists, she rid herself from all the frustration she’d felt, until she was spent and her arms burned. She grinned. The vampire looked even worse for wear; it was just as she’d wanted it.

She used the towel she always had on hand to wipe her brow and to clean her bloody hands. She walked over to the workbench and picked up one of her favorite knives from the basin of holy water. She merely let the water drip from the silver blade before she turned around and faced the vampire again. “Sixty dead, one-hundred injured - fifteen critical.” She rattled off the stats and then snorted. “But, those numbers don’t mean anything to you, so you don’t care.” She stepped closer and dragged the blade across the inside of Morrow’s elbow. “Of those sixty dead, ten were under the age of fifteen.” She paused again. “Every hour, twenty-four-hours a day, a new figure is added.” Ziva sliced Morrow again. The second cut was much longer and deeper. “Oh, did I mention? Those kids were all bloodsuckers – vampires to the last one.” She laughed aloud. “It all came as a HUGE shock to the world in general when they learned that vampires do exist. It came as no surprise when people started killing the monsters before those monsters killed them.” Ziva noticed the way the vampire tensed up at her words and wanted to kick herself for keeping this information to herself. Today was the most she’d gotten out of him in the past two weeks.

“You see, just the day after I took you, a horrible murder happened in one of the more prestigious neighborhoods. The Sheppard family was brutally murdered.” A note of compassion crept into her voice and she stared into nothingness, but then she squared her shoulders and continued. “The attack on them was described as being done by a crazy person, but then that same day someone got kidnapped and everything changed.” Ziva walked around the vampire and stopped at his back. She leaned against him and as she told him what transpired, she slipped the knife in between his ribs and held it there, flush against his body.

Ziva smiled as the monster gave an involuntary groan of pain. “The kidnapping was recorded by a dozen or more reporters who were at the scene and reporting on the gruesomeness of the situation. What was recorded shocked the whole world, because it was not possible. Except, that it was. The world in general – America in general - got their first glimpse of vampires. The two responsible for taking that man out in the open were vampires, and no longer could any cover-up be used to keep the truth out.” Ziva withdrew the knife and kept it steady. She leaned in and whispered. “The person taken – Anthony DiNozzo,” she plunged the knife back in all the way to the hilt. “And he’s still missing.” She left the knife in the vampire’s body and stepped away.

The look on the vampire’s face was priceless. It was set in a grimace of pain, but the eyes shined with fury. It seemed like she finally got through and now she was going to really enjoy taking this monster apart.

Ziva circled Morrow again, another knife in her hand, which she used to drag across his chest, not even caring about the blood she was spilling, just enjoying the sight of him bleeding. “So, we still do not know why he was taken, although there are some rumors that he’s one or other _mate_ for one your monster. We really don’t give a shit about that. He is human. Monsters have him, and we need to get him back.” Ziva didn’t add what they would do when they found him. If they could use DiNozzo as bait, then so be it. If he died, well then hopefully he died after he’d been of value to them. Ziva took the knife and plunged it into Morrow’s side, once again leaving it there. “We’re his only hope of finding him. Give up what you know about him, who possibly from _your_ kind would take him and why.”

She looked on as her captive snickered and slapped him hard when he managed to laugh at her.

“What’s so funny, bloodsucker?”

She looked on as he took a breath before finally speaking up. “We are vampires; we are stronger, faster than you. What makes you so sure you’d be able to rescue him, if we can’t do it ourselves?”

Ziva made as if she pondered the question, but then burst out laughing herself. “You’re so fucking full of yourselves, it’s a wonder that you’ve survived so long. Bloodsuckers like yourself have someone that’s apparently important to you. When they took him, they knew you’d come looking. They’ll be ready for you, but they won’t expect humans to track them down, to take them out and to do the rescue. Just like you think you are better than me, they think the same. You’d be stupid not to see it would be the best for us as the Slayers to get this DiNozzo guy back.”

Tom Morrow lowered his head, his breath sounded scratchy to her ears, as if he was on his deathbed. Ziva grinned; she knew he was on his deathbed. She knew she couldn’t push further, she had to be patient, but not for too long. If she didn’t get him to talk, she would kill him when he’s outlived his usefulness. If he did talk, she still would kill him. Either way it was a win-win situation for her.

Ziva stood patiently until finally, the vampire lifted his head. “I need to see the recordings of his kidnapping. From there I can tell you who it was.”

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Morrow’s voice was strained and he hung his head in shame. He had no choice. His tormentor was right. Whoever took Tony would be on the lookout for vampires, but they would not look for humans. The Slayers were the only ones that would be able to rescue Tony. He sighed and then started telling the Slayer everything she wanted to know, and in the back of his head, he hoped that his death would be quick.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**The White House: 24 hours earlier**

Gibbs had to grind his teeth to keep calm. Since he gave in and decided to claim what was rightfully his, everything he knew went to hell in a handbasket. The Council accepted his claim without as much as thinking about it. They knew their history and they knew and believed in the prophecies. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the rest of the world out there.

The authorities that were aware of their existence, not only had to deal with his claims as the new _Tatell_ , but they also had to deal with the rest of the government officials who were kept in the dark, not to mention the average person. In all frankness, it was Gibbs’ belief that the politicians should stop placing themselves first and think about reality.

Gibbs turned and blocked the different arguments that were going on around him out as he looked out of the large window. Never in his whole life, even as a Special Agent did he think that he would find himself in the White House. But he was there and instead of acting the humans wanted to talk. It made him grind on his teeth again and he had to swallow the growl that threatened to escape from within. He could still feel Tony inside of him, but fainter, as if the distance between them was increasing. In the last two weeks, he’d woken up more than once in cold sweats and extreme pain. He didn’t want to think about what he felt; where he felt it. They had to find Tony; time was running out for his mate. He reached out again, not knowing if Tony could feel him. _‘Hold on mate, I’m coming, just hold on.’_

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. “Enough!” He took in the startled looks from about twelve people, but didn’t stop. “Talking is not going to solve this issue. You can talk until you are all blue in the face, the facts will still remain. And before you start arguing about facts again. Let me spell them out for you. One – vampires exist – deal with it, this is not a nightmare, we are. Two – you have riots in the street – people and vampires are being killed – get the riot squad out there. Put a curfew in place - get order back into place. Three – make a public announcement – explain the situation and stop playing the game of _‘we cannot deny or confirm_ ’. Four - I personally don’t have time for this shit. My mate is out there and I need to go and find him. You’ve been told before how significant he is, stop trying to change that – you can’t.” Gibbs’ shoulders dropped and he turned away. He didn’t want to be here, he should be outside, looking for Tony.

“Special Agent Gibbs, _Tatell_ , you’re right and we have to apologize.” The President spoke up. Of all the politicians in the room, the President was one of the few who knew about their existence and didn’t make a huge fuss about it. Some of the other members present, smelled of fear, even going so far as to make sure that whenever possible, they did not to turn their backs on him, Ducky, SecNav or Fornell as if they were awaiting an attack at any second. Gibbs was sure they made a confusing party. Ducky was here as the Governor of the Council since Morrow was still missing. SecNav was there because not only was he a vampire, but he acted as advisor in this political mess. Fornell appointed himself as his bodyguard and it didn’t matter how many times Gibbs argued that he could look after himself, his friend wouldn’t be swayed.

“Forgive me, Sir, I spoke out of turn.” Gibbs knew he had no right to speak up like that, but to him it felt as if he had no choice.

“No need to apologize. Everything you said is the truth. I know you don’t want to be here, but as you know, politics is messy. You’ve raised some valid points, and it will be done.” He looked pointedly at the Police Commissioner as well as the Secretary of Defense. I also have a feeling that you don’t care for us as politicians, but unfortunately for you, you’re not part of this. You’ll have to appear on television. You would have to tell the people out there about yourself, about your species and about your mate. I have a feeling it might be the only thing to calm people down.” They were all still reeling at the death of the ten vampire children locked into a school classroom, the room set alight, and they all burned to death. It was still unclear how it was found out that they were vampires, but it was too late for them.

Gibbs suppressed the growl that once again threatened to escape. He knew the man was correct, but he still didn’t like it. He was not one to interact freely with people he didn’t know. He despised the media and didn’t have time for idle chitchat. He needed to find his mate. He was surprised when Ducky spoke up.

“ _Tatell_ , Jethro, I know this is difficult for you, but it needs to be done. Until we get the information we need on who took Anthony, there is nothing we can do. You know, we’ll find him and we’ll get him back. In the meantime, you have a new duty to fulfil. You’ll be kept up to date each step of the way.”

“Surely, you’re not planning on letting your _leader_ go after these thugs?” The Secretary of State spoke up.

Before anyone could speak up, Gibbs raised his voice. “Tony is my bondmate, he is my responsibility and it’s my duty to get him back.”“You describe your relationship with detective DiNozzo as if he is your mate. You are not bonded to Detective DiNozzo, so he’s not your mate. You cannot go and risk your life for someone you have no real connection with. It would be better for you to stay out of this and let us handle it. You cannot take the chance and die for nothing.” The Secretary of State continued.

The man found himself pressed up against the wall, his words not even cold. “He is my bondmate; he holds the same position as me. We may not have physically bonded, but the Council accepted what he is to me - you have no right to say he is not worth my life. Nothing is more important to me, and to all other vampires on this continent to find him. We would gladly lay our lives down for him.” Gibbs stepped away and ignored the shudder that went through the human’s body as he let his face transform back after he showed his true identity.

With his back to the room, Gibbs spoke up again. “I will get my mate back, and I will not be stopped, no one will stand in my way.” He looked over his shoulder as Ducky’s phone chirped. With his good hearing, he didn’t need to be told what information Ducky received. He waited until the Elder ended the call. “It’s confirmed. They’re part of the European faction?”

Gibbs looked on as Ducky slowly nodded his head. He knew exactly why Ducky was so troubled. The news disturbed him too, but they had to act on it. They had no choice. He looked past the people in the room before his eyes finally landed on the President and he sighed heavily. “You’re not going to like what we tell you know, Mr. President.” Gibbs indicated with his hand for the President to take a seat before he took a seat himself. “Ducky,” Gibbs turned to face the Elder. It was time to tell this room just what was going on.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Ducky looked around the room. After so many years of living, little still shocked him, but now, now he had received one of the biggest shocks of his life. He cleared his throat in an attempt to gain even a second more to compose himself.

“Doctor Mallard, Elder Mallard?” The President inquired.

For a moment, it looked like Ducky didn’t hear the man speak, but then he regained his center and nodded his head. “At the turn of the 15th century a fight broke out in the iciest parts of Europe. For centuries it was believed that the fight was between Vampires and Slayers.” Ducky looked at Gibbs. “In our traditions the eldest son is not the ruler, but the protector for the ruler to be. From the time he’s able to realize the importance of his life, he’s trained to become just that. At that time, the protector was named Gustav. He was the oldest of the then _Tatell_ and the _Tatell-mate_. The next in line for the throne was the little baby boy placed in his protection. From old entries of his life, it was established that he actually heard the moment his mother was slain. He heard how every other member of the Brood that was living with them was killed as he fled into the night. In a journal written by himself and stolen by the Slayers many years ago he’d mentioned that he had no choice but to part with the newest _Tatell_ as he feared death was upon them. From these records it was established that the _Tatell_ was placed in the care of a couple and they came to what was then known as the new-world.” Ducky sighed.

“In sending the _Tatell_ away, he at that point, thought, that he’d stopped the Slayers from eradicating our species. He himself became a street child and was when he became older and settled into his body, he was responsible for setting up the first Council. He knew that the Brood could no longer be governed as their _Tatell_ was no longer on European soil, but he would make sure that until the _Tatell_ came home, the Brood would still be governed in an honest and honorable way. Gustav himself was murdered at the end of the 18th Century, by whom we believed to be the Slayers, but it was only later on realized that he was murdered by our own kind.” Ducky looked at Gibbs for a long time.

“Although I like to tell stories, some of them quite long-winded this one I will keep short. A plot came to light – a very cruel plot which was hacked by the _Korus_ \- The Second King and his advisors to take down the _Tatell_ and his family and take the crown for himself. Unfortunately for him, because he could not bring forth the body of the baby that would rule one day, he couldn’t ascend to the highest throne, but he did try. It was as a direct result of his tyranny that the rift between the European vampires and the New World vampires started, and now even so many thousands of years later still exists.”

“Are you saying Agent Gibbs is over three thousand years old?” The Secretary of State sounded confused.

Ducky managed not to sigh. “No, Sir. _Tatell_ Gibbs is the seventh generation son of the _Tatell_ who came to the New World all those centuries ago. And although the original prophecy mentions that he would be _hailed by the king_ , it means he _is_ the king.” By the confused look on more than one human’s face, Ducky knew he’d have to do some more explaining. “By tradition, when the second son of the ruling _Tatell_ is born, the monarch would pronounce that child as king and would only reign until the child was old enough to do so himself.” The nods he received from around the room indicated that he could proceed. “When Gustav made sure his baby brother could not be harmed, he had no idea what would happen to the child. The child was handed over to humans and with that a complete break was made between the old world and the new.” Ducky turned and smiled at Gibbs. “Luck seemed to be on the _Tatell_ bloodline as when that young couple settled in and hired a governess for their young boy, without knowing they hired a vampire. With that governess’ help, the first _Tatell_ came to know about his history, but still didn’t know who _he_ really was. It took almost two years before the governess heard about the extensive troubles in Europe and through the grapevine with many questions and too few answers, she realized who the baby was. With much trouble, she had managed to get word to the Protector and made an oath to guard and serve the _Tatell_ from her generation on. So, just as Gustav was the original protector, a new line of protectors started here, they were no longer the older brother, but their duty never changed. And as each new generation was born, a protector was appointed and in some or other way held a bond with the next _Tatell_ as it was their duty until today.”

A few frowns still appeared around until the President spoke up. “You’re Agent Gibbs’ protector.” He smiled when Ducky gave him a nod in agreement.

“Yes, I was there when Jethro’s father named him _Tatell_ , it was on that day that I became his protector. 

Ducky looked on as the rest of the room digested the information he just shared with them. Some were talking to one another. Others, like the President himself, were assimilating the information alone. Overall, the reaction was better than he hoped. He knew he would also have to inform them of what he found out from the telephone call he received. When the President cleared his throat, he knew it was time to go on.

“The two vampires that took Anthony were identified as Olaf Vitsut and Gunter Raag, both of Estonia. Their _sires_ have been best friends since they were born and both are Elders and sit on the council. A very corrupt council if I may add. It’s been rumored that they are the reason why trouble has been brewing for a while in that region of Europe. Through their lies, misconduct and criminal behavior the rot they cause, has spread through the whole of Europe. Not only is every vampire growing restless, but tension is added as our prophecies, from which there are many, indicates that more and more of the signs are becoming visible and that change is coming. All vampires know that we cannot stop the change, but some would try to bend it to their will. If, they can bring disorder to the world, bring it to its knees and then sweep in to save the day, they would be seen as the heroes. They will make sure that each and every vampire in the free world answers to them, but they will take it further. Human beings will become slaves in the biblical sense of the word.” Ducky looked at the faces around the room. “In short, the world as we know it would be thrown back into the Middle Ages and you as the _weaker_ of the two species will not survive.”

Ducky waited patiently for his words to sink in. He knew they might think they have everything under control, but that was far from the truth. He looked pointedly at Gibbs and couldn’t help but to wonder what was going on in his King’s mind. When the President spoke up, he smiled. At least the President seemed to have a level head on his shoulders.

“What can we do to keep things from deteriorating?” The president rose to his feet and paced the room.

“The press conference needs to be held first. Jethro needs to be recognized as the new Tatell. With that done, two things will happen. One, it will lessen the hold of the rogue vampires as the moment that announcement is made, they will feel it in their bones, it’s not a feeling you as a vampire can ignore.”

“I don’t understand, you said you were there when Agent Gibbs was named _Tatell_ by his father, what’s the difference now, why did none of the other vampires feel it then? Why would they feel it now?” The Secretary of State came to his feet.

The SecNav answered. “Doctor Mallard simplified it a bit too much by stating that Jethro needs to be recognized at the press conference to be the new _Tatell_. In fact, there are two ceremonies held for the naming of each _Tatell_. The first is done for that coven, sometimes even the clan, but it’s kept small because the naming day is normally done on the third day after the boy is born. Only the coven would be present at the ceremony and would therefore feel the effect of the naming. The second ceremony is done in public, each and every vampire is invited and if they are able to attend, will do so. That ceremony will be felt through the whole Brood. Every vampire in the world will know when the _Tatell_ is named.”

The Secretary of State shook his head. “I am sorry; this is getting too far-fetched for me.” He turned to face his President. “I suggest we use extreme force, Sir. Let’s show them who they are dealing with.” He couldn’t help the sneer in his voice.

“That decision, nor that advice, can come from you.” The President spoke. He looked over at his Secretary of Defense and then continued. “We are out of our comfort zone here, gentlemen. Even though we had regular contact with the Council here in DC, we still know little about their culture, their inner workings. It would be best for them to lead us.” He stood, walked over to Gibbs and reached out to shake his hand. “We’ll give you any support you need to get your mate back, _Tatell_ , and it would be my honor to vouch for you in any way possible.”

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs nodded his head and shook the offered hand. He turned to the people behind him. “Ducky told you that when we name me as the new _Tatell_ , two things would happen; he told you about the first. The second thing is twofold. It should calm the people in the streets down as they would see it as some kind of order being established in what to them seems to be utter chaos, hopefully that would lead to some more stability.” Gibbs breathed heavily. “The second is more personal. I would need to claim Tony as mine shortly thereafter, not only to strengthen my own position in the Brood, but also to unify the human world with the vampire world forever. With our mating, our two species will be bonded together for all eternity.”

The President turned. “The world as we all know it, seems to be changing right in front of our eyes. Change is unavoidable, the harder we struggle against it, the more it demands from us to change.” He reached out for Gibbs again. “It seems you’ve got your work cut out for you, but, I pledge our support to you, from this day forth until the last.” He cleared his throat. “Let’s get your mate back.”

Gibbs was speechless. Such support would’ve only been gained over years. To get it in such a short period of time was unheard of. He didn’t look at Ducky, Fornell or at the SecNav, he knew they got this support because of _what_ he was and with Tony and his empath ability next to them, they would make a greatest ruling force in the world. He was about to speak up when a commotion at the door made him turn around. When he heard McGee’s voice, he spoke up. “Let him in.” Authority leaked through his voice and the Secret Service Agent at the door immediately opened the door, making McGee nearly to tumble inside.

“McGee?”

McGee looked around; his eyes grew huge as he saw who was in the room. Then he squared his shoulders and turned to Gibbs. “Boss, you’ve got to see this.” His hand trembled as handed the tablet to Gibb. “You also need to sit down, please.” He even went as far as to push Gibbs back until the man sat down. Not giving Gibbs a chance to question his actions he touched the screen and an image came up.

Gibbs was grateful for the fact that he was indeed seated when the image became clear and he realized what he was looking at. He couldn’t take his eyes of the screen even though he wanted to do nothing else than just that. He was faintly aware of Fornell yelling out instructions, but still his eyes were glued to the screen and the screams that emanated from it. “Tony.”

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Vampire location**

Shiver upon shiver travelled through his body, but he no longer noticed it. Tony was too far gone into his own mind to realize that he was going into shock - that his body was giving up and that if he didn’t pull himself together soon, he might even die before the sun came up the following morning.

Blood dripped from his body to the ground, each droplet landed with a hard _splat_ in the otherwise noiseless room.

The previous days – hours had been nothing but one pain infested period. The two vampires had done everything in their power to break him molecule by molecule, not leaving him in peace for even a mere second. They had raped him repeatedly, no preparation, just fucked into him as if he belonged to them. Even as his blood streamed down his thighs did they not stop. They bit him; they fed from him, taking strength in his blood, removing from him his only way to survive. His waking moments were filled with torture, his nightmares chasing him around even without sleep. Tony had no idea what he screamed, for what he begged. His voice no longer audible, his tears no longer flowed. He had no choice but to submit and wish for a death that did not come.

He no longer cared for what they did, he knew he was doing what they asked, although something inside of him kept on telling him to fight but even that little spark was becoming more distorted by the second. Tony did try to listen, but knew it was helpless, and at this stage darkness trumped the light and there was nothing he could do.

The door opening triggered a reaction from him. It didn’t matter how deep he crawled within himself to forget where he was, that door brought him back to the present each and every time. No longer did his body shiver because of shock, because of the coldness, but the shiver changed, his body seizing so hard that it rattled the chains he was connected to. Fear gripped him, and if he had any fluid left inside of him, he would’ve pissed himself, not because he was a coward, but because it was instinct. He was the prey – they were the hunters and he was absolutely trapped.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Olaf cackled with glee as he saw how their pet trembled in fear. The smell that emanated from the human was filled with fear, more fear and even more fear – nothing else. Today they were going to go live, their pet was ready to show to whom he belonged. He knew the human had no idea just how far he was come being the obedient animal they wanted. But, it didn’t matter, they knew, and within a few moments the whole world that had access to the wonderful innovation called the internet would know just to whom this worthless, so called mate to the _Tatell_ belonged to. Olaf sneered again. He strutted around, even let his finger trace the outline of the human’s body, noting with glee each and every bruise and bite mark on him to show off their ownership of him. He tugged at his own cock as he didn’t even bother to put on clothes.

Olaf looked up as the door opened again and Gunter entered. They’d been friends for all their life, closer than brothers and fuck buddies for eons. But now with their pet they’d become something more - it was as if they could feel one another even more than they were able to do before. They worked as a unit, not once trying to outdo the other, but working towards the ultimate orgasm they achieved every time they hurt their pet just that little bit extra.

“Everything set up?” He asked as Gunter closed the distance between them. He was also naked, his cock already hard.

Gunter grinned. “I’ve set it up, we’ve got a minute or two and then the feed will go live.”

“Good,” Olaf pulled Gunter flush against his body and kissed him hard. “Let’s show the world what we are capable of doing.” He pushed his Gunter away and approached their pet who was still trembling hard. “You’ll be a good pet now, and you’ll get a nice treat.” He licked at the traces of blood that still decorated the human’s skin.” He looked over at Gunter. “Lower him down.” He stood behind the human and as the pulley system lowered, he grabbed hold of him and lowered him to the floor. Olaf bent over and removed the chains and shackles from the human’s arms, throwing them to the side. “On your knees, pet.” He took hold of his pet’s hair and pulled him up. He grinned when the human got into position and stayed there without any trouble. “Truly broken, so fucking easy.” He left him there and stepped closer to Gunter. “I’ll do the talking; you put him through his paces and let’s give them a taste of what is to come for the world of humans.

Gunter grunted in response. He had no problem in letting Olaf talk. He loved fucking more than talking in any case. He smiled as a ping sounded through the room. “We’re live.” He walked over to their pet and gripped the human’s hair hard making him rise up even more, but remaining on his knees. He tugged at his cock again, walked around the human with his prick in his hand and slapped it against the pet’s mouth. He grinned as Tony’s mouth opened up and he pushed himself in. He didn’t stop until his pubic hair was scratching against the human’s face and held him there. Gunter looked up and smiled at the camera he knew was just over his shoulder.

“Humans must learn their place. For far too long, they have ruled the earth with their arrogance. It’s time they realized that they are not at the top of the food chain any more. They are no longer the top dog, they are the bottom feeders, they are nothing but fuck holes for us. Your men will be used to sustain our energy, your women to keep our beds warm and your children to fill our stomachs. There are seven point four billion people in the world. That is wrong; there are four million vampires in the world and three point four billion slaves. You belong to us, no longer will we stay hidden in the shadows, it is time for us to rule again as we did so many years ago. This earth no longer belongs to the people; it now belongs to the rightful owners – us – the vampires. Look what you will become and run in fear we love to hunt.” Olaf turned and walked over to where Gunter was still fucking Tony’s mouth. He snapped his fingers, sneered as Tony got into the required position without letting Gunter slip from his throat and took his stand behind their pet. “You’re only good for one thing, Anthony DiNozzo and that is to fuck, no longer are you worthy to be the mate of the so called new _Tatell_ , you belong to us. He grabbed his cock and pushed into the human’s body with one thrust. Both vampires moved in unison, their pace fast as they fucked into their pet from both sides over and over again. They didn’t let up until both found their release before stepping away. Olaf dragged their pet up onto his knees again. “Clean me.” He looked straight at the camera as their pet turned around with no light in his eyes and started using his tongue to clean the blood and cum from his owner’s cock.


	11. Chapter 10

[ ](http://s792.photobucket.com/user/Dont_hate_me01/media/Jenny_zpsoq24rydo.png.html)

**Chapter 10**

_‘Trust is earned – that is very well known. But, the question that needs to be asked is, how do you earn that trust? It’s not something that happens in an hour, or even within a day. A week is still too short. No, we are talking about months, sometimes even years. Surely, you would not trust a stranger with your most valuable possessions at the market, so why would you trust a stranger to act in good faith after only one conversation?’_

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Slayer headquarters**

Trent Kort threw the tablet down with disgust. He was pissed that they didn’t managed to grab DiNozzo first and now this. If he never had proof in his life before just how barbaric vampires were, he had it now. He looked at the two slayers that stood before him. Other personnel filled the rest of the room. Jonas had gained much on the vampire called Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and by what was going on in the media, they got it all just in time. He was frustrated with the fact that the bloodsucker was now guarded 24-hours a day. From what Cobb told him, the monster was not impressed with this arrangement, but unfortunately, he wasn’t stupid enough to give his protection detail the slip. They needed to get to him, and they needed to do it quickly. A smile appeared on his face. He turned to his personal assistant that was standing to his side. “Get me someone at the Capital who will talk to me, the higher the better.” He was going to make them an offer they wouldn’t be able to resist.

“Any news on where those fucking vampires are hiding?” He addressed Ziva and cocked a brow as she used a knife to clean her nails.

“The techs are still working on that.” She said with a shrug of the shoulders. He could see that she was not interested in what was going on around her.

Her attitude was grinding on his nerves and Kort closed the distance between them and came to a halt right in front of her. “Then find out how long it will take them to do just that.” He didn’t give her an opportunity to reply, grabbed the knife out of her hand and threw it blade first into the table behind her. The room quieted down as he stormed to the door. He didn’t look back as he exited his own office. He needed time to think. They only had this one chance to rid the world of evil and if they messed this up, he had a feeling none of them would survive.

“Your fucking girlfriend needs to know her place.” He cursed as he nearly ran over Jenny Shepard in an attempt to get away. He growled as Ziva passed by them.

“My _girlfriend_ as you so adequately put it, was appointed as a Slayer, her main purpose is to extract necessary information from monsters before killing them. As far as I know, she did not fail in her duties. So, she doesn’t need to know her place. She does her job.”

“She’s fucking arrogant.” Kort snapped back.

Jenny looked the man up and down and a sneer appeared on her face. “You are afraid of her.” She burst out laughing. “The mighty Trent Kort is afraid of a woman.” She cocked her head. “Why is that, Trent? Did you think she was going to swoon before your feet and blush when you rushed in to hold her tight? But then you got it wrong, didn’t you? So very wrong. She doesn’t like dick, she likes pussy and wanted nothing to do with you.” Jenny smiled. “Poor Trent Kort.” She gasped as the man slammed her hard into the wall; she reached for the hands that curled around her throat.

“I would keep quiet if I were you, Jenny. I am the one who runs the organization, not you. You will not be missed should you disappear.” Kort increased the pressure on the woman’s throat. He was trembling with anger and had to keep himself in check so he would not snap her neck.

He tensed as something sharp bit into his lower back. He didn’t need to look back to know who it was. Without releasing the woman, he spoke up. “Did you manage to get an answer?” He stayed in position.

“I’ve got an address.” Ziva hissed in his ear and pressed the blade harder against his skin. “Let her go.”

“I’ll let her go when I want to. You, on the other hand, Ziva, will remove the blade from my back and return to my office so that we can do what we are supposed to do.” Trent did not let on how bothered he really was about the knife against his back. She was clever. She didn’t press it against his neck to slice his throat, but she could stab him in the back, severing his spinal cord instantly. She knew what she was doing, that was for sure.

Ziva growled and pressed the blade deeper, piercing the skin as she could see the blood seep through the man’s shirt. She wouldn’t hesitate in killing this man; he was just a man. The world would be a better place with one fewer.

“Go, Ziva.” Jenny spoke up. Her voice sounded strange as Trent continued to put pressure on her throat.

Ziva remained where she was before she finally stepped back. “You will learn how to sleep with your eyes open if you want to live for much longer.” She flicked the knife and it disappeared from her hand. Without looking back she moved away and entered Trent’s office again.

Trent released Jenny from his grip. “Feisty bitch.” He said it with a smile. “Keep her on a leash.” He didn’t look back as he entered his office again. He would deal with this crisis they had on their hands, but would also make sure that neither Ziva nor Jenny lived for much longer. “Cobb, what do you have? He ignored Ziva as he concentrated on what the other slayer had for him.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**The White House: 12 hours later**

“Congressman O’Casey wishes to have a word, Mr. President.” The Chief of Staff relayed the message and continued when he saw the frown on the President’s face. “He said you should ask Agent Gibbs about _slayers_?”

SecNav and Ducky both hissed at the comment, but Gibbs took the time to explain. “Slayers are specially trained in finding my kind and killing us. It’s their belief that we are monsters and do not have the right to live.”

“What would O’Casey know about slayers?” The president sounded perplexed.

“He either knows of vampires and slayers, or…” Gibbs let the rest of his sentence hang in the air.

The President nodded his head. “I’ll see him, but not here. I will not place _Tatell_ Gibbs’ life in danger.” He rose to his feet and quickly left the enclosed room.

Gibbs looked on as the door closed behind the President. It was the first time since they arrived at the White House that someone of their party had left the room. For a moment Gibbs wanted to panic, but he pushed the thought down and concentrated on the intel they received only an hour before. It seemed like they might’ve found the whereabouts of Tony. A SWAT team had been deployed to gather even more intel. Gibbs hoped that they would launch the rescue within the next hour.

He looked up when the door through which the President had just left opened up again. He was surprised to see the President himself coming back in and frowned. Something changed and he couldn’t help but to growl when he smelled it. Fear. The President smelled of fear. He took a guarded stance and waited for the human to approach him. “Sir?”

The President looked as if he were at a loss for words. They were both surprised at the words that left the President’s mouth when he finally spoke up. “About a week and a half back you killed a man in your home. You had his body moved to a certain location.”

Gibbs nodded. “Yes, he was a Slayer. He attacked one of my coven; he nearly killed her. Tony was also there. I would do it again, if I had to.”

The President nodded at Gibbs’ words. “O’Casey knows of vampires, of slayers. He has a proposition for you.”

Gibbs cocked his head. “Is that what you are afraid of, Sir? His proposition, or now that you’ve heard what I’m cable of, do you fear me?”

The President looked up into Gibbs’ gaze and sighed. “Both, I would say. Would you listen to him?”

“Is he a Slayer himself?” Ducky spoke up.

“Third generation, according to him.” The President answered truthfully.

“Then no.” SecNav answered. He had drawn his pistol and stood between Gibbs and the door where on the other side, the Slayer stood.

“Sir,” Gibbs shook his head as the SecNav looked at him. “What did he say was the proposition about?” addressing the President.

“About your mate.” Fear spiked from the President again.

Gibbs reached out and took the human by his arm. “Why are you so afraid? Did he say something else; did he threaten you or your family in any way or manner?”

The President stood stunned and shook his head. “No, no. He just said that you most likely would deny a meet with him, that you didn’t really care for Detective DiNozzo and that you most likely have targeted him and enthralled him in one or other way. The only reason why you are now so concerned is so that you can save face with the masses out there.” He swallowed hard. “And the moment you got Detective DiNozzo back you would kill him.” He feared for the detective’s life as it was possible that O’Casey was indeed correct and that DiNozzo had no idea that he was only being used. But, he also realized that he was in the company of a killer, and by what O’Casey told him, wouldn’t hesitate for a second to kill him as well.

The growl that escaped from Gibbs showed that he was not human. It was of a pure feral nature, his face contorted to its true form and as the President flinched, Gibbs moved away. He turned his back to the President and took some deep breaths. He was aware that the whole room had gone quiet and that the tension levels increased tenfold. Gibbs managed to speak up. “We as vampires, have many talents, enthralling someone, is not one of them. We do not hypnotize or coerce humans in doing things against their will. Tony is _my_ mate. I would rather see myself dead than him hurt in any way or manner.” Gibbs turned around and caught Tobias’ eye. “Let’s hear what he has to say.” He didn’t wait for a reply, turned back and leaned against the window again. He was not able to look at the Slayer right now, not without wanting to kill. He heard the door open and close; the space now carried the sound of another heartbeat. “What is your proposition?” Gibbs asked, still facing away.

Congressman O’Casey sneered openly before he spoke. “Let me first say that I’m here under orders, I don’t want to be here and I for one would oppose any and all dealings this government might have with the likes of bloodsuckers like you.”

“Clearly noted, now what do you want?” Gibbs asked, not even giving the President a chance to get a word in.

“You think you are so mighty, you’re nothing but a fucking monster. I don’t want to be here.” O’Casey made to turn around but stopped when Gibbs laughed.

“You’re right. You don’t want to be here, but you don’t have a choice. You’ve been instructed, but no one told you why. You don’t like to be out in the cold, not knowing what was going on. You tried to get answers, and you were told to _do your job_.” Gibbs laughed again. “You might be a Congressman and you might be a third generation Slayer, but yet, you’re nothing – just a lackey. So, speak, and say what you were told to say and then get out of here, because I can promise you, not even the President will keep me from ripping you apart, just to show you _how_ inhuman I really am.” When Gibbs turned around his eyes shone blood red and his fangs were clearly visible.

“The Slayers will get him out. We have the manpower to go in and get the detective out.” It sounded like a learned and memorized speech.

“Why would you do that, especially since you know what Tony is to me?” Gibbs fangs retracted, but his eyes stayed red.

“He is human; he doesn’t deserve what he is going through. He doesn’t deserve to be in the clutches of those monsters. Monsters like you.”

Gibbs nodded in agreement. “You’re right, Tony doesn’t deserve it.” He cleared his throat. “Why do you think you’d succeed? We are able to get him back ourselves.” Gibbs knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from the slayer himself.

O’Casey snorted. “Because you’re so fucking arrogant. They will know you’re coming; they’ll expect you to come. But, they won’t expect us.”

Gibbs sighed. He knew the Slayer was right, on both counts. “You’re right. They won’t expect humans to come to the rescue.” He didn’t add that he also knew that no SWAT team would ever be able to take down two vampires, unless they were trained the way Slayers were trained. In the end, he would either have to go with the _help_ offered by the Slayers, or try and get Tony out himself. The second option looked like the better option with every second that passed.

“So?” The Congressman asked.

“Do you know the fable of the frog and the scorpion?” Gibbs really didn’t want an answer, instead he pressed on. “You may offer a solution to a problem, but at what cost? It’s in your nature to hunt us, to kill us. I would rather take my chances in getting my mate back on my own, then to rely on you for help.”

“I personally cannot wait to see your head separated from your body.” The Congressman replied and exited the room before anyone else could speak up.

Gibbs turned and looked at the vampires and men in front of him. “The moment we have conformation on where Tony is, I will go and get him back.” He looked over at Tobias. “No, I will go alone. He is my mate and where the Slayers are correct in saying that they would gain entry easily, it would be much more so for me going in alone. No one would suspect it; it is the best solution.”

More than one voice sounded up against that statement, but the ones close to him remained silent. They knew Gibbs - they knew he wouldn’t change his mind. They could only hope that he would succeed in this endeavor.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Vampire location**

Gunter laughed as he watched the scenes unfold on the large television screen. To describe it as total chaos would be an understatement. Riots took place all over the city, the state and the country; even all over the world. Their video had gone viral and it caused the effect that they were looking for. Pandemonium ruled. As his phone vibrated in his hand, he answered the call and pressed it to his ear. “Sire,” he smiled as he heard his father’s voice. “It’s gone well, wouldn’t you say?” He laughed at something the older vampire said and nodded his head in agreement although his father couldn’t see. “We will be ready, Sire. Gibbs will not survive and neither will his _mate_.” He laughed again. “Unfortunately that would not be possible, Sire. But, I will make sure to take loads of photos afterwards.” He laughed again and ended the call. With the backing of his Sire and the rest of the European clan behind him, they would bring the human world to their knees.

“Where are you, whore!” He called out and grinned as their human pet came crawling on his knees towards him. “Still can’t believe you broke so easy. Gibbs should actually thank us for taking you off his hands. You’re a fucking disgrace!” Gunter lifted Tony’s head and slammed his fist into his jaw. The way the jawbone gave way under his fist made him smile. “You’re on the fat side in any case, now with a broken jaw you’ll manage to lose some weight.” He stepped over Tony’s prone body and joined Olaf on the sofa.

“Fresh?” He asked and indicated to the body sprawled out on the floor in front of Olaf’s feet.

“Mm,” Olaf hummed and cleaned his mouth with his hand. “Still warm if you want a bite.” He looked over to where their pet was slowly crawling back to his corner. “Thought you were going to fuck him?”

Gunter grabbed at the arm of the body and dragged it up to where he sat. “If my calculations are correct they will attack within the next hour or so. Want to be buried deep in his ass when Gibbs shows up. Think he’ll appreciate it.”

“Think I’ll join you for that show.” Olaf pressed down on his straining prick. Both vampires were naked, forgoing clothes since they arrived at their location with Tony.

“Eat up, we’ll need our strength.” Gunter ignored Olaf’s comment as he bit into the tender flesh. He moaned as the warm blood filled his mouth and he swallowed deeply. He grinned around the flesh in his mouth as Olaf took the other arm and brought it to his mouth, feeding again. Neither of the vampires saw Tony slowly crawled out of the room and out of their sight.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Without looking back, Tony slowly crept towards the kitchen. He had seen a knife in the last drawer and knew he had to get to it and soon. He hated this place. He hated feeling so useless and utterly afraid. He would be the first to admit that he was scared shitless. His body ached, and he felt broken, but something inside of him told him to hold on, to play possum but to hold on. His hand curled around the handle and he gently pulled it from the drawer before closing it softly and crawling away until he reached his supposedly sleeping spot. It was in the furthest corner away from the door, a single sheet covered in blood was his bedding. He managed to hide the knife under the sheet and curled into a ball. He finally closed his eyes as his jaw throbbed in beat with the other injuries to his body. It was safe, safe for now to retreat where he was not so damaged, not so scared.

Tony stayed hidden inside of his head. He was back in the place he’d spent so many hours when he was small, to him it was his place of safety. He looked around. He knew he was able to change it as it was inside of his head, but he lacked the will to do so. Instead, the room he found himself in was sparsely decorated. It consisted of a twin bed, an area rug and a single bookcase against the far wall. All of his favorite books were there and next to his bed stood his Magnum P.I. lunchbox. It shimmered out of existence and he had to concentrate hard to get it back. He’d forgotten how it worked here and it was difficult to remember, because it brought back memories, memories he didn’t need to think about right now. The lunchbox disappeared again and Tony whimpered. He knew it wasn’t his lunchbox, he never had such a special lunchbox but he’d looked at it through the window of the store so many times that he was able to _imagine_ it here. It was easier with the other stuff he owned, he just had to picture them for it to appear in _his_ room. When the lunchbox shimmered into existence again, Tony sat down on his bed. He couldn’t help to shiver and placed his arms around his waist in an attempt to keep warm. _‘He will come, I need to be patient, he will come.’_ Tony had no idea of whom he was thinking; only that he would know the moment the man who would save him would be there. The man with the blue eyes. Tony yawned. It was hard to stay here, he didn’t want to be here, although he was safe here, but the reasons why he came here kept on assaulting him, and they were mixed up with those reasons of the past and he could slowly feel himself breaking under the strain of it all. _‘He will come, I need to be patient, he will come.’_ Tony repeated the words again as he slowly rocked himself to sleep.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

“Are you sure about this, Gibbs?” Tobias asked for the third time in as much as the last hour.

Gibbs only looked at his friend and didn’t answer him. Instead, he turned his attention to McGee who sat at their back with a laptop balanced on his knees. “What do you have McGee?”

“About six signs of life in lower part of the house. Another two in the main part, which we’ve established is the living room and what looks to be a single sign of life in the mudroom of sorts.”

“How many human?”

“If I go by the heat signatures I would say at least seven. The six in the lower part of the house and the one in the mudroom. The two signatures in the living room are definitely vampire as they are burning more green-blue than the others that come through yellow-orange to red even.” He explained and even turned the laptop to indicate the positions on the screen as he saw them.

“Good.” Gibbs looked at the screen. He had no idea where Tony was, he didn’t even know if his mate was still alive. He mentally slapped himself on the back of the head. Tony was alive. He would’ve felt it if Tony were dead. “Give me half an hour before you move in.” He directed the comment to Tobias. Gibbs checked his weapons and with a nod to McGee, he placed the small earpiece in and exited the unmarked van into the night. They were parked more than two miles away from the house, but it didn’t bother Gibbs. He would run the distance and at the same time center himself. He would get his mate back, and nothing would stop him.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Jonas Cobb flicked on his night vision goggles and hated the fact that he had to rely on them to be able to see. In that regard alone, he wished he were a bloodsucker. They had the ultimate strength and speed. Their hearing was phenomenal and the fact that they could see clearly in the dark was the icing on the cake. But, he reminded himself, they were monsters and he never wanted to be a monster. He was a human being and that was enough for him.

Cobb looked to his left and signaled to his partner to lead on. He had never worked with David before, and from what he saw of her, he was sure she was more than a bit unstable. However, she also seemed to be able to get the job done and that was what mattered now. He couldn’t help but to frown as he thought back on the instructions he received from Kort. _‘If anyone on your team becomes a burden, leave them behind.’_ The fact that they were only two slayers sent in to get the job done, made him realize just to whom Kort referred.

They reached the perimeter of the property with ease. Cobb was not surprised to find that there were no security measures in place to keep them out. Vampires seldom used security measures, they felt it was inferior to their own abilities and they were of the opinion that no human was worth it. It suited him fine. They went over the wall with ease and approached the old house from the back. At this stage they still stayed together. They would only split up when it became necessary.

Silently they breached the back door and switched off their night vision goggles before they entered the house. To the right of them there was a small room and a quick look found it to be empty. Next to it a door led to the right and they moved carefully in that direction. In front of them the house opened up. A large living room sat to the right, with an open plan dining room to the left. The television set was on, but both rooms deprived of life. Cobb looked up as a floorboard creaked above their heads. He caught Ziva’s eyes and indicated that he was going up. He nodded as she indicated with some hand signals that she would go through this level. As he moved towards the stairs, his eyes caught a small doorway on the side. It didn’t seem like a closet; it must be some sort of basement. He pointed it out to Ziva and then stepped up the first step to go to the upper floor.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Ziva moved with caution through the lower part of the house. It was eerily quiet and she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something wrong. There was supposed to be at least a couple of vampires, if not more. When she stepped around an old sofa she shuddered despite the fact that she had seen death before. The body was that of a young woman, naked as the day she was born, her body covered in multiple bite marks. Her neck was nearly torn off and even though she was clearly dead, her open eyes still showed fear.

Finding nothing of interest, Ziva turned to the door Cobb had noticed before he went up to the first floor. She was impressed, she knew he was there, but still she couldn’t hear him move upstairs. Not letting herself get distracted she gently turned the knob to feel if it was locked before she turned it further and entered silently.

Even before she could place her first foot inside, the stench that greeted her made her want to gag. It smelt of feces and urine. Unwashed bodies, coppery blood and death. Ziva closed her eyes for a second, centered herself and then made her way further into the room. She found some narrow rickety steps to the side that took her down into the basement area. The light was dim, but still adequate for her to see what was going on around her. The lower half of the basement consisted out of sturdy brick and deprived of anything else, except a large cage that stood in the center of the floor. The padlock that previously held the gate shut lay on the floor. Inside she counted six bodies. Their throats all ripped to shreds, but she had a feeling they were killed in a rush, as there were no new bite marks on them. The marks she noticed was days older. Ziva turned and made her way up the stairs. As she reached the top step, shots echoed through the house, followed by glass breaking. Not thinking, she acted and made her way out of the basement and ran the stairs to get to the first floor.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Earlier – same location**

Scaling the outer wall was not a difficult task as Gibbs landed softly on his feet. The night air was cold; he could see the condensation in the air as he breathed out. Gibbs made his way to the house and hunkered down at the corner. “Talk to me, McGee,” he whispered as he looked around carefully making sure that no one could creep up to him and take him by surprise.

 _“One heat signal to the left of the backdoor, still human by the color.”_ McGee’s voice sounded through the mike in his ear.

Gibbs gave no reply, but made his way over to the mentioned door. He would be going in silently and would only incapacitate any humans he came across, unless they became a threat. He was there to get Tony out, the quicker the better. As he reached the door, McGee spoke up again.

_“Another heat signature moving towards your position, Gibbs. Lower temperature, it might be one of the bad boys.”_

“Roger that,” Gibbs whispered and waited at the door. “Keep me informed.” He stayed at the door, a weapon in his hand, but his fangs extended, ready to attack in which ever form.

A strange noise reached his ears through the mike. At first, Gibbs had no idea what it was, but then he realized. It was McGee growling. Never before had he heard such a sound emanating from the young vampire. “McGee?” He hissed.

_“You need to get in there, Gibbs. Both heat signatures are on the left to the backdoor. Looks like a mudroom from the size of it. Approximately fifteen feet forward.”_

McGee’s voice made Gibbs shudder. The younger vampire was clearly upset and Gibbs knew that it would not be a good time to ask McGee what he witnessed. Gibbs made his way over to the backdoor and opened it up. He wasn’t surprised to find that it was unlocked. He stepped inside and the feint noises he heard through the door became clear. They were sounds of flesh against flesh and by the grunts he heard, one party was really enjoying it. The fear he smelled in the air, also alerted him that the second party was not a willing participant. It was then that he smelled Tony. No longer was his mate’s scent pure, it was tainted with the scent of evil. Gibbs let out an inhuman growl himself as he stormed towards the sounds he heard, it wouldn’t matter if Tony was a willing partner, the fact that someone else, except himself was having carnal intercourse with _his_ mate, meant death. No one had the right to lay a finger on Tony, not even if Tony begged for it. With all the strength inside of him, Gibbs barreled down the pair. Tony was on his knees, the vampire’s cock shoved so far down his throat that he could see it moving in Tony’s throat. The vampire, Olaf, was the one who had a death grip on Tony’s hair, holding him against his body as his hips thrust continuously. Tony was red in the face, clearly struggling for air. Gibbs noticed all that in the seconds it took him from the back door to where the pair was. He caught the vampire on the side, slamming hard into the body, shoving him away from Tony. Gibbs couldn’t dare look at his mate; he could only hope that Tony would be okay.

Fighting another vampire was very different than fighting a human being, even if that human was a slayer. First, vampires were quick and light on their feet. It was due to this ability that the rumor start that vampires could fly, because of their speed and the way they moved, it looked like their feet did not touch the ground. This was embellished so much that in the end they even turned into bats. Secondly, they were strong, super strong, able to snap a mere mortal’s neck with bare hands if they wished to. Ripping it clear off was also an option. Fighting another vampire meant that you basically fought a solid brick wall, both vampires usually able to withstand the most brutal attack with barely a flinch. Thirdly, all vampires were arrogant, always thinking that they are unbeatable, and therefore they didn’t really care for weapons, using their own strength and razor sharp teeth to take down their opponent.

When Gibbs slammed into the vampire that stood over Tony, he knew it could be a long fight, unless he played dirty. Without hesitating, he pulled the Glock out of the shoulder holster and as they fought on, he pulled the trigger. The roar that filled the house bared testimony of Gibb’s true aim. He didn’t hesitate in pulling the trigger again, just as the vampire he fought again lifted him clear off his feet and slammed him hard into the wall behind him. He knew he had to end it and do it quickly. The small ear mike he had in his ear had come lose and although he still could hear McGee, it was difficult to concentrate as he had to filter the other noises out as well. Gibbs had no idea where the second vampire, Gunter, was that took Tony. He was surprised that the vampire had not joined the fight, but then he saw the blur out of the corner of his eye and he knew why. Gunter disappeared from his view and Gibbs knew what he went to do. Those other heat signatures McGee picked up in the basement of the house were a liability, and he wanted to scream out in anger, but he had to kill the vampire he was fighting. With a low tackle, he flung the vampire away from him, storming forward as his opponent skidded across the floor. Gibbs closed the distance between them, grabbing the bleeding vampire by his neck and shoved him back to his feet. His hands covered in blood; the two shots he got off only slowed the vampire down, but not even by much. He tried to bring the pistol up again, but it slipped from his hands as the vampire contorted out of his grip and Gibbs found himself on his back on the floor, the vampire grinning inches above his face.

“Your mate is a good fuck, Gibbs.” Olaf smirked as he closed his hands around Gibbs’ throat and started squeezing hard. “Or should I say, your ex-mate, because he will never be yours again.” He laughed out loud. “He’s our pet, and he will never be yours again.”

For years to come, Gibbs would remember that moment in time. He still had no idea what happened exactly, but the one moment he was fighting for the right to breathe, the next someone barreled into them, the vampire strangling him, was taken off guard and Gibbs could breathe again. “Tony,” he called out as he saw that it was he who’d managed to shove the vampire off his feet. Tony straddled the vampire and pinned him to the floor. He had a large knife; it looked like a kitchen knife in his hands. He tried to use it to stab Olaf with it, but the vampire was quick and with a hard twist he managed to get Tony to lose his grip on the knife and it went flying to the side. Luckily, Olaf didn’t have it either. It didn’t stop Tony; he used his fists and pummeled the vampire’s face. His hits lacked their usual strength, but he didn’t let up. Gibbs’ anger spilled over when he realized that Olaf was laughing while Tony beat him up.

Gibbs moved forward, but got sidetracked as Gunter slammed into him and he had to fight the second vampire even as Olaf still stayed down and let Tony slam his fist into his face repeatedly. Gibbs knew things would not end well and moved his body, getting Gunter beneath him. He reached for the large silver tipped knife strapped at his back. The thick leather sheath, together with the leather grip protected him from the blade. Something slammed into his side, his hand with the knife twisted, mere inches away from his own neck. If the vampire managed to stab him with the weapon, Gibbs would die in seconds. With a twist of his body, and the clear sound of his wrist breaking, Gibbs got away from Gunter’s grip. He cringed in pain and, but make sure Gunter didn’t see his reaction to the damage done to his wrist. It would heal within a few days, but now wasn’t the time to think about it. He hated the fact that Gunter know held the knife.

He didn’t have the time to check on what happened to Tony; instead, Gibbs had to concentrate on fighting both vampires who now held his full attention. With Gunter slamming into him, Olaf managed to get to his feet. Both vampires stood back, grinning, as Gibbs got to his feet, his right hand cradled to his chest, but bearable. How much he’d be able to use it in this fight, would have to be seen. By their stances, he knew they wanted this fight; they wanted to end it there and then. It would be a massive blow to the vampire, and human communities if the new _Tatell_ were killed before his official coronation day. The next attack was quick, the two vampires worked very well in tandem; Gunter came in low and tried to push him off his feet, while Olaf went for his neck. It was a clear indication that they’d been working side by side for a very long time. It took all of Gibbs’ concentration to keep them from killing him with their brutal strength and with his own knife. With only his hands he had to keep them from ripping him apart, he blocked using his damaged hand, stoically not winching as the pain travelled through his arm with each shot he managed to fend off. He hit hard with his left fist, kicked out at them and used his elongated fangs to get in a bite or two as well. The pistol was still out of his reach, and Gibbs mentally chastised himself for thinking of getting to the weapon instead of concentrating on the fight.

Gibbs surprised the two vampires by switching up his attack. Instead of concentrating on both of them, he turned to Olaf. The vampire was bleeding from the two gunshot wounds, and he was fast losing his strength as the silver lined bullets slowly poisoned his body. Gibbs turned their bodies, using Olaf as a shield while at the same time he punched the vampire with all his strength. Gibbs finally spotted Tony. His mate was lying on his side, clearly unconscious, but still breathing. It made him roar with anger and he delivered another bone-crushing hit, slamming Olaf right into Gunter, so that both of his opponents staggered backwards. “Time to finish this, I’ve had enough of you.” Gibbs growled and leaped forward, knocking into both of them at the same time.

“Incoming Slayers, Boss. They are on foot, about a mile out.” McGee’s voice sounded through the still dangling earpiece. All three vampires heard the comment. Gibbs snarled and the two vampires did as well. He didn’t want them here, and he sure as hell didn’t need them. Gibbs moved forward, but got a surprise when both vampires backed off, turned around and fled. He snarled at them, but didn’t follow as they disappeared into the darkness of the house. He needed to get Tony out of there.

“We’ll share him with you next time, Gibbs. He’s a good fuck.” Gibbs bristled with anger at Gunter’s parting words, but ignored them as he kneeled next to his human mate. He didn’t care what their plans were or that they went deeper into the house. If they wanted to ambush the slayers and take them out it suited him just fine. For a fleeting moment, he thought about the heat signals Tim picked up in the house, but he had no time, not if he wanted to get his mate to safety.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Ziva took the stairs to the first floor three at a time. She gripped the Sig pistol in her hand and did a cautionary sweep of the hallway stretched out before her. At the end, a body decked the floor and before she reached it, she knew it was Cobb and that he was dead. His head snapped, the acute angle giving it away. His own firearm still clutched in his hand. The large window behind him was broken and Ziva stepped over the body to look outside. It was quiet a drop, but not impossible for a vampire to jump. She noticed the blood on the windowsill. At least one of them was injured. Since their weapons held special silver hollow-point ammunition, she hoped that whoever was hurt would bleed to death.

She left the body where it was and searched the rest of the upper floor. Another body turned up in what appeared to be the main bedroom, already stinking when she opened the door. The second room was blood sprayed; it looked like a slaughterhouse with an unmade bed in the middle. The last bedroom held a similar cage as in the basement. A single blanket lined the floor and various lengths of chains hung from the iron bars. In the far corner, she found clothes, a wallet and a detective badge. It belonged to Anthony DiNozzo. She pushed the wallet and the badge into her pocket and left the room. Standing over Cobb’s body, she reached for her phone to call for a clean-up crew. There was nothing left for her to do. She had no idea what happened to the detective, but it was clear that he was not there. Ziva sighed. This whole rescue operation was a bust and with Cobb dead, she was the one who was going to have to face the anger of Kort. Not looking back, Ziva went down the stairs and exited the house the way she came in. She never saw the dark clothed figure staring at her from the edge of the property.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs made sure the way was clear before he lifted Tony into his arms and made his way out of the house. He indicated to Tim to bring the van closer as it would be less inconspicuous than him carrying a fully-grown man in his arms for two miles.

As he reached the wall, he put Tony down when the man started struggling in his arms, still unconscious. “Easy, Tony, you’re safe.” He whispered softly, hoping that he’d be able to keep Tony calm. He ignored Tim’s voice telling him that the slayers were fast approaching. Tony struggled again against his hold and Gibbs gently tapped his face in an attempt to get the detective to regain consciousness. “Come on; open up those green eyes of yours so that you can see you’re safe.” Gibbs tried again, but Tony stubbornly remained out cold.

Tim’s voice sounded in his ear again. The slayers were about to scale the wall. Gibbs pulled Tony against him and cradled his head against his neck to make muffle any noise Tony might make. Gibbs looked on as the two slayers jumped the wall and quietly made their way to the house. The moment they disappeared from his sight, he got in contact with Tim. He had no problem carrying Tony, but he’d still needed help to get him over the wall and into the van.

Inside the van Gibbs placed Tony gently down and frowned as he saw the look on Tim’s face. Even Fornell looked grim. “What’s going on?” He grabbed a blanket and covered Tony up.

“Olaf and Gunter didn’t leave the house.” Fornell supplied the answer.

Gibbs didn’t need to hear more. “They killed the humans.” He sighed and brushed a stray lock of hair from Tony’s forehead. “We need to get Tony to a hospital.” He looked at the two vampires. “The slayers will clean it up.” Gibbs knew he sounded hard, but nothing else could be done. Before a response could come, their sensitive hearing picked up shots coming from the property. “Time to leave.”

“Let me keep an eye on things. I’ll report back later, Boss.” Timothy removed the headphones he had on and readied to exit the van.

At first, Gibbs wanted to object, but they needed to know what happened and Timothy was a good agent and detective. He nodded his head. “Be careful.” He looked on as Tim exited the van and disappeared back over the wall. He turned his attention to the driver. “Let’s go.” He pulled Tony close as the van started up and they drove off.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_‘The art of healing does not only lie in the medicine available, but in the patience and care that accompanies it. Healing does not occur overnight. It is a time consuming process; even Vampires knows this. Yet, we with the years of patience, with the years of longevity are always impatient when it comes to the healing of those we love. Sometimes we even go so far as to make believe that they are all right, only to be reminded again just how fragile humans can be, until we finally can turn them, and they become part of us, become our bond mates.’_

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Slayer headquarters: 24 hours later**

Ziva stayed perfectly still even though on the inside she wanted to do nothing more than to move. Not to get away from the knife that pressed against her neck, but to move towards the danger. To take on the man who dared to place her in this position. She did her job, she knew she was good at what she did and it was not her fault that Cobb lost his life. She would not apologize or beg for her life.

She lowered her eyes from staring at Kort as her lover entered the room and strolled leisurely over to where the man had her on her knees, her head forced backwards with her throat open to be sliced from side to side. Jenny oozed confidence and it didn’t matter that she found herself in this dangerous situation just seeing the woman walking towards them made her wet between her folds.

“A bit over dramatic, even for you, Trent.” Jenny stopped right next to the pair.

“Jonas is dead.”

“Yes, he paid the price for doing his job.” She sighed dramatically. “You know she didn’t kill him, so why are you now trying to kill her, or are you forgetting that we’re fighting a war?”

“He was not supposed to die.” Kort snapped, spit dribbled down his chin. He didn’t need to explain anything to the woman. He should’ve never agreed to let Ziva come and work for them. Now, one of his best slayers was dead, and he still had the Ziva problem to deal with.

“And I was,” Ziva spoke up as she grabbed the knife at her throat and twisted the hand using Kort’s own body weight to flip him over so that he landed with a thud in front of her and she jumped to her feet. “Just because I did not spread my legs for you.”

Kort came to his feet and snorted. He wouldn’t bother explaining that he didn’t want to fuck her. She was hot, but he liked his woman a bit more docile and blond. Instead, he focused on the fact that yet again, he underestimated her skill and power and was flipped over quite easily. He should be more on his guard around her. “You’re a loose cannon, you are not stable. Why do you think Mossad got rid of you? Did you think you were so special? You are a liability to everyone. How many missions did you fuck up for Mossad? Not even your own father wanted you near him anymore. I gave you this position as a favor to him, and nothing else. I am regretting that decision on a daily basis.” He closed the distance between them and stepped into her personal space. “Your girlfriend is right; we are fighting a war. But, after we’ve won, I want you out of my organization. I want you to disappear into nothingness; I don’t want to see you ever again, because if I do, I will kill you.”

“I’ve done what you asked of me. I got you the information you needed.” Ziva’s hand tightened around the knife’s handle. She hated the fact that he brought her father into this. She was her own woman; she didn’t need any man in her corner, not even her own father.

“And you left a string of bodies in your wake!”

Ziva laughed. “They are monsters, hardly anything to care about. And what’s your problem? It’s not as if anyone cares about them.”

“You might not have noticed, but the powers that be are already enthralled with those bloodsuckers. They will not see our actions as being justified, we will all be charged with murder, just because you couldn’t get one single fucking instruction correct – DO NOT LET THE BODIES BE FOUND! If you did that, they would still not have been found and we would have a better foot to stand on. Don’t get me wrong, I hate playing politics, but just this once it was what we had to do and you fucked it up single handedly.”

“You provided the list.” Ziva raised the knife ready to strike.

“You don’t get it. You really don’t.” Kort shook his head and turned his back on Ziva and the knife in her hand.

“Explain.”

“Those that you killed were members of the bloodsucker council, the last one was the head of the council – good riddance to all of them, but with their bodies so easily discovered their deaths will be placed at our feet. It will place us at a disadvantage to the current political situation, it will place those monsters above us, even if the whole Sheppard family were skinned, raped and devoured by those monsters. You’ve drawn unwanted attention towards us, either you disappear or I’ll make you disappear.” Kort walked away not even turning back to face her as he uttered his last words.

“Prick,” Ziva muttered as Kort left the room. She turned to face Jenny. “I could’ve handled it myself.”

Jenny responded to the comment with a snort. “You would’ve been dead by now and no use to me.” She embraced her lover hard. “You need to be careful around Trent Kort; he will not hesitate to kill you. At least now you’re still useful to him, although he will never admit it. But, I do think that after this cluster fuck is cleared up you and I need to go on a long holiday. One very far away from him for a while at least.” She didn’t add that she was concerned about Kort’s remark. She’d noticed it herself, Ziva was indeed far from stable, but then on the other hand, who of them really was? She ignored the nagging feeling in the back of her head and kissed Ziva hard. It was the only thing she could do to stop worrying.

Ziva merely rolled her eyes as she came up for air after Jenny kissed her senseless. “I can still take care of myself.” She repeated her words again. She could take care of herself, she was not frightened of empty promises. If she could kill a vampire, Trent Kort held no challenge for her. She just might even kill him first, it all depends on how much he continued to piss her off.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital: 48 hours later**

“How much longer, Duck?” Gibbs asked as he paced the floor, the umpteenth cup of dark sludge clutched in his hand.

Ducky shook his head. “I’m sorry, Jethro I can’t say but I will go and find out.” Ducky got up and made his way out of the private offices of the RADM where they could make themselves comfortable. It was one of the few places in the hospital that guaranteed absolute privacy.

Gibbs didn’t reply, but turned and stared out of the ceiling to floor window. It would’ve looked like a good day to the spend outside, if it wasn’t for the fact that most of the streets were closed down, the riot police barricading the roads while the rest of the police force patrolled the streets. In the distance, smoke touched the sky and with his heightened senses he could hear gunfire as well.

Gibbs’ hand tightened around the cup, nearly breaking the ceramic mug as his thoughts drifted to what happened after he brought Tony to the hospital.

_Fornell phoned ahead and a medical team waited for them when they arrived. Gibbs appreciated the fact that they didn’t make him let go of Tony and that he was able to carry his mate into the emergency unit to place him on the bed. They had no qualms in letting him stay in the room, although to the side._

_The medical jargon went over his head, but he did pick up certain words and phrases that made his blood boil. Severe concussion, broken jaw on the right side, deep bruising to the throat, broken collarbone on the left, dislocated right shoulder. Bruised and fractured ribs on both sides. Possible damage to his kidneys. He didn’t need to be told what else. He’d seen the video feed and knew Tony was raped. He could smell the vampires on his mate, the stench of their seed still on Tony’s skin. He growled aloud as they moved lower down Tony’s body and he saw the blood that dried between Tony’s thighs and the distinctive finger bruises on his hips. Before he could react, Tony was whisked away to the OR and there he started pacing for almost four hours as they repaired the damage done to his mate. And yet, the worst was still to come._

_Tony’s rescue and admittance to Bethesda was leaked to the press and by the time Tony got out of the OR the hospital was flooded with journalists and photographers. More than one broadcasting agency placed cameras on the grass in front of the main entrance, sending out live pictures. They had a complete list of Tony’s injuries, how long he was in the OR and what treatment he would receive. Gibbs raised the roof when a photographer managed to get into the recovery room and took pictures of Tony hooked to different machines, still not even awake from the anesthetics. It took two phone calls, all of the agencies were slammed with gag orders and all journalists and photographers removed from the hospital. Gibbs didn’t give a damn that they screamed about their rights, Tony had nothing to do with them. On advice from Ducky, he contacted the council’s legal representative, even though he hated involving lawyers, he’d started legal actions against the photographer and the news agency he worked for._

_Then Tony woke up and he attacked. Gibbs was on his way to the room when he heard the screams emanating from Tony’s room. It took him mere seconds to enter the room and took note of the situation. Tony had one of the nursing staff by the throat and was busy throttling her. Already her color was a deep red and it was clear she was not getting enough oxygen. “Tony?” Gibbs asked quietly and ignored the nurse who was gasping for air and clawing at Tony’s hands. It looked like Tony didn’t hear him, so Gibbs tried again. “Tony?” He smiled as Tony turned his head and looked in his direction. Only when he saw that he had Tony’s attention did he continue. “Let her go, you’re safe here.” He kept his voice low and soft. He moved his body as people came running towards the room; he didn’t want them to come in. He knew he was taking a risk in blocking Tony in, but he had little choice. The sound Tony made sounded like a growl and whimper all in one and it pained his heart to hear it, but he stood his ground. “Let her go, Tony. She didn’t do anything wrong, she’s innocent and you’re hurting her.”_

_Gibbs growled himself when someone at his back tried to push past him to enter the room. His shoulders slumped in relief when Ducky spoke up somewhere behind him and the person who tried to enter moved away. He concentrated on Tony again. “Let her go, Tony. You’re hurting her, she’s scared and she didn’t do you any harm. I promise you, you’re safe, let her go. No one will hurt you.”_

_Gibbs relaxed his stance as Tony continued to stare at him. At least it looked like he had stopped squeezing at the nurse’s throat, although he still did not release her. “Let her go, Tony. You’re safe.” Gibbs repeated the words and couldn’t help but to sigh as Tony’s hands came away from the nurse and he stumbled backwards. Before the nurse could exit the room, Gibbs stood next to Tony and held him up. “Let’s get you back into bed.” He gently guided Tony back to the bed and covered him with the sheet before he stepped back. His gut told him not to let too many people back into the room and was grateful with the fact that Ducky kept everyone else still outside._

_“Ducky is going to come in and have a look at that arm of yours.” Gibbs indicated to the bleeding limb where Tony yanked the IV lines out. Tony’s eyes snapped up to meet his and he could see the fear in them. “Only Ducky, no one else.” He waited for Tony to nod his head before he turned and beckoned Ducky to come in._

_After moving away from the bed, Gibbs moved back into Tony’s line of sight, when he realized that Tony sought him out with his eyes, while at the same time trying to keep an eye on what Ducky was doing as well. “You’re doing fine, Tony.” He assured Tony again. He was glad of the fact that Ducky explained to the younger man what he was doing every step of the way and sighed when Tony finally closed his eyes and seemed to drift off to sleep again._

_Only then did the rest of the medical personnel enter and they quickly straightened the room and made sure Tony was comfortable before they left him alone in Tony’s room. It was a miracle that Tony did not aggravate any of his injuries, but that he was merely exhausted. It would be the first of four times Gibbs had to calm Tony down when he woke up before things finally started to get better. And then it got worse again._

Gibbs was pulled from his memories when Ducky entered the office again. “And?”

“He’s in recovery, Jethro. Everything went well.” Ducky sighed and took his seat. “His doctor is on his way.”

Gibbs nodded and turned away from the window. “I thought he was getting better.”

“You said it to me and to Tobias before, Jethro. It seems that your mate has plenty of different masks, and he hides behind them perfectly. Even young Timothy was surprised this time around. You need to get him to talk, Jethro.” Ducky swallowed. “We might not be so lucky next time around.”

Gibbs wanted to scream out of frustration. “There was not supposed to be a first time, Duck.” He bowed his head, but snapped it up when a blow landed to the back of it. “Ducky?” He asked, confused.

“You always dish out those head slaps; I thought it was time I tried it myself. I can get used to it, especially if are going to wallow in guilt that does not belong to you. You know that none of this is your fault, and the fact that Anthony tried to commit suicide the moment you turned your back, is also not on you. He is screaming for help, and we are going to help him. _You_ are going to help him.” Ducky pressed his index finger against Gibbs’ chest. “He will realize that we all care, that he is safe and that he will never have to face anything in his life on his own again. Anthony DiNozzo, the bond mate to the _Tatell_ will survive this; we will all make sure of that.”

The door opened behind them and Gibbs turned. “Doctor?” He moved closer to the man.

“The problem with police officers, EMT’s and all other emergency response personnel is that they see too many suicides. They attend too many autopsies and they see too many deaths. It gives them an almost perfect idea on how to take their own lives, how to escape the pain they carry with them, trying to help others, but at the same time seeing the sadness that surrounds us on a daily basis.” He looked up at Gibbs. “Detective DiNozzo would’ve succeeded if it wasn’t for you Agent Gibbs. The operation was a success, but he’s going to have problems with his wrists for a long time. He will need to take it easy, and at this moment, I’m not sure if he’ll ever able to use his left hand one hundred percent without intensive therapy.”

Gibbs could only nod again. He still had trouble getting the last images of Tony out of his head. He was out of the room for five minutes to take a call. Five minutes was all that Tony needed in slicing the pulse on his left wrist wide open, crisscrossing the incisions to make sure he succeed. They’re still unsure how he managed to do the almost the same on his right wrist with his bleeding left hand but he did. Gibbs had to fight him hard when he returned and smelt the blood before he saw what Tony had done. If it wasn’t for the fact that he knew Tony was human he would’ve thought he was fighting another vampire. Tony had tremendous strength, but it failed him quickly as the adrenaline in his body tampered down and his strength left him because of the blood he was losing. It still took Gibbs and two orderlies to pin Tony down and get him the help he needed.

“He will get all the help he needs” Ducky said. “Can we go and see him?”

“Yes, of course. He should be back in his room by now.” The doctor moved to the side as Gibbs stormed past him. It didn’t even upset him that the man didn’t say any other word. You just had to get close to the man to see how deeply troubled he was with what happened. “Agent Gibbs needs to talk to someone as well, Doctor Mallard.”

Ducky nodded in agreement. “I think it would be easier to get blood out of a stone, but you are right, Jethro needs to talk, and young Anthony also needs to talk. Hopefully, we will get them to do just that.”

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs entered Tony’s room silently and made his way over to the chair that was still exactly in the same spot it was the last time he sat on it. Tony was curled on his side, his back towards the window. By his breathing, it was clear that he was sleeping off the anesthetics. Gibbs sat down and placed his head in his hands. He was at a loss on what to do. No words were going to make things better and he could understand why Tony didn’t want to talk to anyone about what had happened to him. He didn’t think he’d be able to talk to anyone if the roles were reversed.

Gibbs sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Never before in my life have I’ve been so scared than today. Don’t get me wrong, when I realized you were taken, it felt like my whole life just disappeared into this deep black hole but I knew I would get you back. You’re my mate, and although I still need to explain all of that to you, I knew I would see you again. But today - today was different. Today you made it known that you’re not longer willing to fight and that was the thing that scared me. You see, I can get you back from anything that tries to take you. I will even go into hell to retrieve you, but you giving up, I can’t get you back from that, not without you trying as well, but you’re not ready.” He looked up at the sleeping form. “So, until you’re ready to fight again, Anthony DiNozzo, I will be fighting your fight. I am not giving up on you. I am going to try and I’m going to keep on trying until you finally realize that you are worthy of living and then you and I can go on together, but hear me; I will not let you take your life, not on my watch. You are my bondmate and that means we fight together. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, we fight and we’ll get through this – together.” Gibbs stood up and closed the distance between him and the bed. He leaned in and kissed Tony on the temple. “We will fight together, because you are mine and I am yours.” For a long time Gibbs stood and watched over his sleeping mate, just making sure Tony was there and breathing for at that moment it was the only thing he could do.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Motel in the middle of nowhere**

Olaf hissed as Gunter’s fingers wormed deeper into his flesh in an attempt to rid him of the one bullet still stuck inside of him. “Fuck!” He couldn’t help but to scream out in pain. Vampires had a very high pain threshold, but silver burned and it kept on burning until every trace of the metal was flushed from the system. To have a silver bullet buried inside of you made every inch of you burn like hell fire. It didn’t stop for one second, instead it spread through every molecule of your body, poisoning you from the inside until you died a slow and agonizing death. For two days they fled, not wanting to be caught, keeping out of sight until they were ready to attack again. This time around they would not only be two, they already received calls from their clan to say they are ready to attack.

“Keep still,” Gunter snapped as the bullet once again slipped through his fingers and he had to dig deeper to get hold of the slippery bastard again. He hissed as the silver stung his own fingers, but finally he got the grip that he needed and he pulled it free. He flung the object to the side and wiped his hands on his jeans. “I’ll get you some blood.” He got to his feet and exited the room to find a blood source for Olaf to feed off.

Olaf sighed as the burning sensation finally started to ebb away as the source of the poison was removed. Already he could feel himself healing slowly. It was a close call. He reached for the TV remote and flicked it on. It didn’t surprise him to see that the channels all covered the riots caused by the revelation that vampires exist. What piqued his interest was the news of the rescued _pet_. Thanks to the media they knew exactly where the human was and from what he heard it seemed that he would be in the hospital for a while. They had to kill him before he mated with the _Tatell_. Olaf smiled, but before they killed him, he would make sure to have an opportunity to sink his cock into that tight body once again. It would be the best orgasm of his life if he could empty himself as he snuffed the human’s life from him while he sucked him dry.

He looked up as the motel door opened and Gunter stepped inside with a body flung carelessly over his shoulder.

“Eat up.” Gunter threw the man on the bed next to Olaf and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “I heard from the others. They’re awaiting our orders.” He said as he stretched himself out on the second bed.

“Good, we’ll contact them in a few hours.” Olaf looked at the healing scar in his side. “Let me feed and then we can leave, we’ll phone them when we’re ready.” He grinned as the man groaned at his feet. “Fresh.” With a flash, he had the man in his arms and even as the human regained consciousness and started to struggle, Olaf tilted the man’s head and bit hard into his neck. He groaned as the warm blood filled his mouth and he sucked hard, letting the blood slid down his throat as he drank and drained the man of his life. He didn’t stop until the man’s heart stopped beating and then he pushed the body off the bed where it landed with a thud on the floor. “Let’s get some sleep and then we can move out. We can be back in DC within the next few days and then we kill and show the humans who is really on the top of the food chain.” Both vampires smirked and then settled down to get some sleep before the real fun would begin.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Slayer headquarters: 72 hours later**

“We need to break the relationship that is forming between the President and Gibbs.” Ziva spoke up as she played with several knives. When heads turned her way, she got to her feet. She ignored the look Kort gave her and made her way to the front. “We need to show the President that vampires cannot be trusted, that Gibbs cannot be trusted. It’s time we showed the President just what vampires truly are.”

“And how do you suggest we go about doing that?” Kort snorted as he leaned back and placed his feet on the boardroom table.

A smile appeared on Ziva’s face and her eyes grew cold. “We go hunt ourselves some blood monsters and then we’re going to make ourselves some fledglings.” She smiled again. “Some young teenage fledglings, hungry enough to rip through anything and then we’re going to set them loose near the Oval office and let them feast.”

“And what about the humans you’re so willing to sacrifice, teenagers to be exact?” Kort asked, but he sat up straight, clearly listening to what Ziva suggested.

“In every war there are casualties and this is for the greater good of this country. There are plenty of street kids out there, they are a nuisance in any case but the effect will be so much bigger. The country already saw them as homeless, vulnerable and mere children. We will get so many more people on our side. There will be more riots, the whole country will be a war zone and the only way in which order will be restored is for the President to send us in, tipping the scale in our favor.” Ziva walked back to her chair and sat down. The rest of the room remained silent.

“How are you going to get the vampires to feed off them? You know most of the vamps use blood bank blood to feed.” One of the other slayers spoke up.

Ziva grinned. “Locking hungry vampires in with bleeding humans sounds like the perfect solution to me.”

Kort got to his feet. “See it done.” He turned and faced Ziva. “You’ll be in charge.”

Ziva nodded her head. She knew the reason why Kort placed her in charge. If anything went wrong with her plan, either she would lose her life to a bunch of fledglings, or Kort will let her be turned, and take her head himself. She didn’t care, her plan was going to succeed and Kort would lose his head to her. It was going to work out perfectly.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

Gibbs had no idea of the time, or for how long he sat next to Tony’s bed, waiting for his human to wake up. He surprised when Tony’s voice sounded through the room.

“I wanted to give up, Gibbs. I wanted to die right there and then.” Tony’s voice sounded soft as he kept his head covered with the sheet, not even turning to face the vampire in the room. “I realized that never mind what I would’ve tried to do, they were faster, stronger than me. For the first time in a very long time I was scared.” Tony became quiet. He spent a long moment just staring out in front of him before he spoke again. “But then I couldn’t help seeing things that were never true, that never belonged to me, but that made me happy, that made me believe that I was alive. It made me not want to give up. But, they didn’t last long. They never did.” His fists circled the sheet, his knuckles white as he tried not to go into the dark places of his head. He swallowed hard. “It was easy to give into them. It kept me alive, because although I wished to die, I wasn’t ready for it. And in between the humiliation, the pain, I kept on thinking about you. I don’t know why. I mean, it’s not as if we’ve known one another for long. You’re Abby’s uncle and a pain in the ass special agent. But, I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t stop seeing your icy blue eyes in front of me. Sometimes they looked sad, sometimes they looked happy, but most of the time it was as if they were filled with determination. It was as if I could see my own eye color in your eyes. They were no longer that pure blue, but speckled with green. The green of my eyes. Those instances made me want to see it for myself. I knew I had to keep on, I had to stay alive.” Tony shuddered. “It hurt so much.” He whispered and then his shoulders shook as he started to sob uncontrollably.

The strong arms that encircled him came as a surprise and for a moment he tensed up until he smelled wood shavings and bourbon, mixed with gun oil and something earthy he’d yet to identify. It made him cry harder, his body shaking with each tear that rolled from his cheeks. Never in his life had he felt so vulnerable than in that moment in time, but also safe – entirely safe.

Tony groaned as he was shifted to his side but settled down when a hand stroked his hair. The words in his ear made him relax and without a doubt he knew that this night he would sleep without being hampered by dreams.

“I’ve got your six, DiNozzo. Sleep, Tony, I’ve got you.” Gibbs whispered the words as he dragged the exhausted man closer to his side and got hold of the entangled sheet to cover them both from the cool air from the air conditioner. He looked on as Tony’s tears finally dried up and drifted off to sleep. Gibbs stayed in position for a very long time, only dropping off to a light sleep himself when he was sure Tony was indeed sleeping soundly. Tomorrow would be a long day. Tomorrow he would tell Tony all about his kind and what role Tony played in all of this. He had no idea how Tony would react, but he could only hope for the best; the rest would have to be taken care of as it popped up.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**The White House: 72 hours later**

“I’m extremely sorry for your loss, _Tatell_ Gibbs.” The President shook the hand of the man standing before him. “Director Morrow was one of the best,” the President stated honestly. He had a few dealings with Tom Morrow over the years. To hear that he was a vampire came as a shock; to hear about his death and how his body was found an even greater one.

“Thank you, Sir.” Gibbs replied as he waited for the man to take a seat before taking one himself. He remained silent on Tom’s murder. It was a very delicate situation according to Ducky and Fornell; one that the President was well aware of. To Gibbs himself, it didn’t matter. He just wanted to find the slayer who killed Tom and take revenge. It might not happen today, but it was going to happen soon.

The President picked up his mug of coffee, took a large gulp and smiled as he sighed contently. “It’s not Marine coffee, but I think you’ll like it.” He indicated to Gibbs’ own mug in front of him.

Gibbs grinned. “Seems like my reputation precedes me, Sir.” He picked up the mug and had to agree, it was indeed good coffee.

“I’ve been told you get a bit grumpy if you don’t get your caffeine fix on a regular basis.” The President shook his head. “But, enough about coffee. How is your _mate_ doing? I heard he had a rough couple of days.”

“He’s getting better, thank you, Sir.” Gibbs didn’t elaborate. Tony’s condition had nothing to do with anyone, it didn’t matter who it was.

“Good,” the President nodded his head. “I understand from Elder Mallard that plans have been set into operation for you to bond with your mate?” He came to understand that it would be a couple of months before the bonding ritual took place. He was surprised when he was informed just how complex the ritual was. It was not something that could be done in a few hours time. It took months and days to arrange and the bonding itself was a private affair. Gibbs and his bonded mate would be away from prying eyes for at least three days afterwards. He didn’t add that the elder councilman was concerned that due to Anthony DiNozzo’s weakened state, that there might be a possibility that he would not survive the bond, even if it was still such a long time away.

Gibbs nodded in agreement. “The bonding ritual will take place in September, if all goes well.”

The President sighed. He wondered why September was significant. “It’s like pulling teeth with you, _Tatell_ Gibbs.”

“I’m a very private individual, Sir. Discussing this with you is difficult.

“It’s something you have to get used to, Gibbs. With the outing of your kind to the rest of the world and with you being the new _King_ , your days of privacy have ended. Photos of you will be on the cover of every newspaper and magazine in the world. Paparazzi will follow your every move to get that one shot that will make them money. In the end, it’s better to put the information you want to be known out there, than to let the media houses speculate and make up stories as they go along.” The President smiled when Gibbs huffed in annoyance. “It’s going to take some time getting used to all of it, but it’s not something you can ignore.”

Gibbs got to his feet and paced the room. “I’m not a King, I’m a special agent. I work for a living. Having photographers and journalists around me is not going to work. Tony is a cop, he can’t be followed everywhere.”

The President sighed. “You don’t realize it yet.” He shook his head. “You’re no longer a special agent. Your mate is no longer a police officer. _You_ are royalty. Your life no longer belongs to yourself. You will not be able to hold a regular job, or in your case work obscene hours before getting a weekend off once in a blue moon. You will be up to your elbows in politics, kissing babies and smiling while on the inside you want nothing more than to sucker punch the man in front of you.” He smiled as Gibbs groaned. “Welcome to my world, _Tatell_ Gibbs.”

Gibbs groaned again and wanted to answer when the door to the Oval office burst open and SecNav, together with a bunch of other people spilled into the room. Gibbs was on his feet the moment the door opened, standing in front of the President, covering him with his own body.

“What’s going on?” Gibbs asked, not moving away even as he recognized the people spilling in.

“You can stand down, Agent Gibbs.” The President slapped the man in front of him on the shoulder and moved out behind him. “What’s going on gentlemen?”

“We’ve got problems.” SecNav responded and reached for the remote to switch on the TV set that stood in the corner.

The room filled with the noise of people screaming, crying, shots firing in the distance. Chaos reigned as different images flashed across the screen. The headings at the bottom made Gibbs’ knees go weak.

“It can’t be.” Gibbs looked up and found Ducky’s gaze on him. “Find them.” He barked out the order and had to calm himself so that his fangs wouldn’t lower out of rage.

“I thought this was not possible?” The President inquired shocked.

Gibbs dragged his hand through his short kept hair and turned to face the man next to him. “Unless they were starved to near death and those that were killed were actively bleeding, it would not have happened.”

“But it did.” The Vice President spoke up. “What are you going to do about it?”

Gibbs wanted to growl, but kept himself intact. “I’m going to find out what the hell happened, that’s what I am going to do.” He turned to the President again. “Whoever of my kind was responsible for this carnage will be punished. Excuse me.” He didn’t wait for a reply, but together with Ducky and SecNav exited the office, leaving the President and the rest of his staff speechless as they continued to watch the screen. Sixteen homeless people confirmed dead and it seemed to be the start of darker things.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital: 18 hours later**

“When was the last time you got any sleep?” Tony’s tired voice sounded from the bed as Gibbs stepped into the dimly lighted hospital room.

“Too many hours ago.” Gibbs sighed deeply and sat down on the plastic chair next to Tony’s bed. It had been an exhausting eighteen hours and still the carnage continued. The death toll had risen to twenty-five. Although yet to be confirmed, it seemed like a number of street kids had disappeared. Including young Nathan who helped Tony on the first case they met. Should the public come to realize that a number of street kids have disappeared, Gibbs knew there would be hell to pay when it finally came out, but until it could be confirmed that they were not somewhere else, he was not saying a word.

“How are you feeling?” Gibbs asked as he stretched out.

At first Tony remained quiet before he spoke up. “Confused, sore, scared, angry, tired. Every emotion you can think of in one and then some more.” He turned slowly. His body still bruised after the attack. “I heard about Director Morrow. I am sorry.” He took in Gibbs appearance. “You look like shit.”

Gibbs smiled tiredly. “I feel like it too.” He moved his chair closer to the bed. “Tom was killed by the slayers. We are now one hundred percent convinced that he, together with Henderson, Flemming and Nancy were all killed by the slayers. They were tortured for information.”

“Do you know what information they were after?”

Gibbs nodded. “Ducky figured it all out. It has to do with us. It’s the only thing that makes sense. If I become the new _Tatell_ , the relationship between my kind and humans would change forever. It would mean that the monster they chased at night would become something more _human_ , and they can’t allow that. They’ve been trained for eons to hate us, to kill us on sight.”

“What about those who took me?

“Same reason, different reasoning behind it.” Gibbs stifled a yawn. “Being _Tatell_ will mean no more divided lines of vampires. All of us will be under one reign again – mine. The European faction believes that they will lose much of their power and their riches if I come into my birthright. Ducky is of the belief that they are behind these attacks to discredit the vampires on this side of the ocean. It will show the rest of the world that I’m not fit to rule and they will then most likely sweep in and _save the day_.”

“But they feel that humans are beneath them.” Tony shivered; he could still hear Gunter and Olaf referring to him as an object.

“They would enslave all humans. It might seem impossible to you, but trust me. They would have no problem in doing just that.” He yawned again.

“When was the last time you got some sleep? You still didn’t answer me properly.”

Gibbs cocked his head. “I can ask you the same question.”

“I had a nap this afternoon.” Tony didn’t elaborate that it lasted a mere half an hour before he woke up with a scream on his lips. He was slowly healing, but unfortunately, now that he was less drugged, his nightmares ambushed him at every turn.

Gibbs arched his brow but didn’t say a word. Arguing with Tony about sleep was futile, and it only made them upset and did not solve Tony’s sleeping problem. Before he could speak up, Tony beat him to it.

“The latest news reports more killings?” Tony’s voice was soft.

“Unfortunately, yes. And more disappearances among the street kids.”

“Nathan?” Tony tried to sit up.

Gibbs pushed him back. “He’s not been spotted in the last day and a half, but it could be that he is somewhere else.”

“Or he’s dead.”

“No, don’t think like that. We’ll find him.” Gibbs couldn’t add that he would be all right. He didn’t know that. None of them did.

Tony nodded his head. “Please find him.” He closed his eyes, they were heavy with sleep, but knew that it would not come easy.

“Get some sleep.” Gibbs swiped the hair away from Tony’s face. He could feel the heat radiating from Tony’s skin and knew that the low-grade fever was still persistent.

“Tell me.”

“About what?”

“About the kings, about our bond.”

Gibbs placed his hand in Tony’s and squeezed it tight. “You know about the different kings and their duties. As for our bond, well, I’m a bit sketchy about the details myself. I’m sure Ducky would be able to entertain you for hours. What I can tell you is that the bonding ritual site has not been used in over three thousand years.” Gibbs kept his voice soft and smiled as Tony finally drifted off to sleep. He shifted lower in the hard seat and closed his eyes. He had a feeling that the worst was yet to come and that he had to get some sleep before the shit hit the fan.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

“Has _Tatell_ Gibbs been informed?” The President looked at the screen where the image was frozen, the teenagers with elongated fangs snarling at the camera pointed at them.

“He was with his future bondmate, but he is on his way, Sir.”

“Good.” The President shifted the table to the side and interlocked his fingers. He had no idea what Gibbs was going to do, but they had more than one fire to douse, and _this_ just made things so much worse. He looked up when there was a knock on the door and got to his feet as the vampire he thought about entered the room. “I’m sorry to call you away, but it was necessary.” He indicted for the vampire to take a seat.

Gibbs nodded his head as he took the seat. “Your men showed me the images on the way over.”

“And?” The President asked tiredly.

“As I have explained before, vampires are born. The only humans that can be turned are those who are bondmates to us. Even then, the process is extremely dangerous, and in the past only one human out of a hundred survived the change.” He took a deep breath. “Those on the images are what we call the undead. They are the stuff that nightmares are made of. Those are the monsters you as children were frightened of. Normal vampire fledglings are like teenagers on steroids.” Gibbs sighed. “Raging hormones, growing bodies and the ability to act without thinking does not even start to explain them. For pure blood vampires, fledgling years stretch from the day they are born, until their sixtieth year. For about six decades, they are impulsive, rarely listen to advise and extremely headstrong. But, even though this is the way they behave, they still have the self-discipline not to go blood crazy. Unlike those undead fledglings.” Gibbs’ voice grew soft. “They had no idea what happened to them when they were changed. They were not supposed to be changed. They were not raised in our ways that they can eat and drink anything they want and that they did not need to kill to get blood. They are now in what I’ve already mentioned – a blood crazy state. They cannot be cured of it. They cannot be rehabilitated or weaned off as if they were addicted to some narcotic. Yes, they are addicted to blood, but there’s only one cure.” Gibbs lowered his head and when he looked up again his eyes were filled with tears. “They have to be killed. It is the only way to stop them.” He took the tablet and stared into the raging red eyes of the teen frozen on the screen – in Nathan’s eyes and wondered how he was ever going to tell Tony about this.

The President sighed; he had been advised that this was the only option. “We’ve come to a decision, _Tatell_. One, that I know you will not like, but one, that I as the leader of this country had to take.” He saw the moment Gibbs realized what they were going to do and even before the vampire could speak up, he continued talking. “It’s already arranged. There is nothing you can do. Should you try to stop us, you will be arrested. You will be charged with treason.”

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Trent Kort had to admit that he was impressed. Ziva’s plan worked perfectly. The initial reaction to the carnage done by the three vampires they’d managed to catch was more intense than what they thought it would be. Many people, especially family men came knocking on their door wanting training in how to protect themselves and their families from such monsters. Their numbers had almost doubled in the last two days alone. Then the second onslaught began and the capital city went into a frenzy. Not even the riot police could keep a handle on things. Already people demanded that all vampires be captured and locked up, if not killed on sight. It was just perfect.

The phone in his hand chirped and he smiled as he saw the number. “Trent Kort,” he answered the phone as he pushed himself to his feet and walked over to close his office door. This was one call he would be keeping to himself until he was certain about the outcome.

“Yes, Sir, what can my organization do for you?” He smirked as the Vice President of the country started to speak.

“Of course, Sir. We can be of assistance. If you can tell me where those bloodsuckers were last seen, we’ll take care of the problem.” He made the correct noises of disgust and understanding as the vice President outlined their problem. He was surprised, but manage to keep it to himself when he was informed that Gibbs told them that the fledglings had to be killed. He never would’ve thought that the monster had it in him.

Kort shook his head. “No, Sir. It will be done swiftly; we will not let them suffer. They suffered enough as it is. It is not their fault that they’ve been turned into such _things_. I’ll make sure it’s done in the most humane way as possible.” He nodded, even though the man on the other end of the phone couldn’t see him. “I will let you know the moment the task is done.”

He ended the call and strolled over to his door again. Kort leaned out and yelled down the long corridor. “Ziva! Get in here; we’ve got some vampires to kill.” He didn’t add that he hoped that he’d get the opportunity to kill her himself, just like he knew she would try to kill him as well. It made his blood race with anticipation. It was going to be a good hunt.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Single story home, suburb in Washington D.C.**

Olaf raised the glass of blood in a mock toast as Gunter stood to his side and the rest of the house filled up with the vampires who streamed in. They were sixty strong already and he knew by the same time the following night, their numbers will have doubled. His eye caught the news on the television and he grinned. “Can’t believe that one of Gibbs’ Vamps did the naughty and went crazy like that.”

Gunter raised an eyebrow and grinned when he realized to what Olaf was referring to. “Who the hell cares? It just made our job so much easier.” He laughed out loud. “Us on the one side, wild fledglings on the other, slayers walking about as if the world belongs to them and humans in the middle. Just perfect. We can actually sit back and relax. Let the fledglings kill off the slayers and the humans before we sweep in and save the day.” He laughed again but sobered up as new images filled the screen. He couldn’t help but to snarl and a few other hisses went up around him.

Olaf joined Gunter in front of the screen and his fangs dropped in anger. They looked on as what looked like a camera attached to a flak jacket projected shaky images of at least ten to twenty teenagers cornered into what looked like an abandoned house. Several shots rang out, it sounded like automatic fire. The teens tried to flee, but they were boxed in and within mere seconds all of them were sprawled out on the floor. Figures moved out of the shadows. Most of them still armed with the automatic weapons, others were some more sinister looking weaponry. The person with the camera on the flak jacket walked up to one of the fallen teens and grabbed the girl by her long raven hair. An arm swung out and before anyone could blink, a machete sliced through the air. The body fell to the side and the hand remained with the head still dangling from the hair before being tossed to the side. The camera moved on towards the next teenager on the floor.

The house was in complete silence. All eyes were on Gunter and Olaf. Olaf spoke up. “We move out at dawn. Kill every man, woman and child that you can find. Remember to kill those on your lists as well. Make sure to leave a witness or two, but kill and enjoy.” Olaf found Gunter’s eyes and smirked. “Let the war begin.”


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_‘Brother against brother -that is the sort of fight you expect in family squabbles. However, you do not expect to see brother against brother in battles of life and death. In deciding who is wrong or who is right.’_

_‘Yet, it is in those battles that we realize just how much we can lose, and in the end the question remains unanswered – was it worth it?’_

**Council Residence: Ceremonial grounds – 2 months later**

Tony stood in front of the large windows and looked out at the grounds sprawled out below him. He had never seen such wonderful gardens before. The gardens at his long forgotten childhood home didn’t even look like this. As far as he could see, grassy hills decorated his sight. Lush green trees swayed gently in the wind while flowerbeds decorated the sides. He ignored the dark suits that stood sentry every few paces. He didn’t need to look for any signs of them carrying. He knew they were. It had become a new way of life. Even just going to the shop at the corner meant you took a weapon with you. Depending on whose side you were, it was either a handgun, or a machete. The choice was yours.

He turned and looked at the one place he’d not seen from up-close yet. It was the ceremonial grounds where he would be bonded to his _mate_ within a few hours’ time. When a soft knock sounded at the door, Tony turned around and smiled when it opened up, and his friend stepped into the room.

“McVamp, long time no see.” He smiled as he slapped the vampire on the shoulder carefully; his hands and wrists still on the mend after what he’d tried to do two months ago. At least the black leather wrist guards gave him the necessary support to do most things for himself.

McGee rolled his eyes as he placed the garments he had in his hands on the bed. “I saw you at dinner last night, Tony.”

Tony grinned. “But that was last night, and today is today. It’s so not the same.” His eyes landed on the garments placed on the bed and frowned. “I thought it was a suit kind of thing?”

Tim groaned. “Should’ve known, Gibbs wouldn’t have told you this part.”

“And what part would that be, McObvious?” Something told Tony he wasn’t going to like it one bit.

“The part of the blushing virgin, of course.” Abby’s voice that sounded through the room as she entered it silently. She was dressed in high-heeled biker boots, fishnet stockings with what looked like little bats decorated on them. A short leathered skirt that came up to the middle of her thighs and a corset looking top that closed up tightly at the back.

For a moment Tony was rendered speechless but then he got his voice back. “I’m not a blushing virgin, Abby.” He hoped they didn’t spot the fact that his cheeks had turned bright red. He could feel the heat emanating from them where he stood.

“In our culture you are, Tony.” Abby sighed. She took Tony’s hand and squeezed it in hers before leading him over to the large bed he slept in the previous night. “It’s time we told you how this is going to work.”

Tony could feel the panic rising up and he had to squeeze his eyes shut and take a deep breath to calm himself down. Since the abduction and what he went through, he suffered from panic attacks at strange times. No one could tell him why, or what triggered it, but it happened. Some, he managed to divert and let them fade away, others were less intense and a calm touch from Jethro or a word or two from the vampire, he came to trust, would make him calm down before things got totally out of hand. But the worst of them – they bowled him over, taking him down for the count, nearly every time he needed to be sedated just to get him to come back to himself and to stop hurting himself. He would injure himself, not trying to take his life like the first time he did something, but making himself feel pain just to stay in the present and not to fade to those dark places within him that he did not wish to visit.

“Tony?” Tim asked with concern when he noticed how quiet Tony became. “You all right?” He didn’t attempt to touch the human just moved a bit to the side so that he was standing in Tony’s line of sight. When he received no answer, he tried again. “Tony?” This time it worked, and Tony’s eyes met his.

“You all right?” Tim smiled as Tony first frowned and then nodded his head once. “Good.” He kept an eye on his friend and reached over for the bottle of water that stood on one of the side tables next to the bed. “You want a drink?” He opened the cap and held the bottle out to Tony. He was dimly aware that Abby had left the room and he hoped she had gone to get Gibbs. Tim released the bottle as Tony took hold of it and relaxed a bit. “Why don’t we sit down? It’s a long story, and I don’t want you to topple over from nodding off.” He made sure to keep the tone of his voice light.

For Tony it was as if he was looking from the outside in on what was happening to him. He could see himself standing frozen, an indescribable look on his face while Tim looked frightened, but managed to keep his voice calm. He wanted to call out to Abby that she didn’t need to go, that he was all right, but he couldn’t find his voice. Instead, he reached for the water and took a long drink, even though he wasn’t thirsty. He saw himself handing back the water bottle to McGee and then sitting down on the bed behind him. It felt good to sit down.

Tony blinked when he realized Tim had spoken again and he had no idea what was said. By the look on his friends’ face, it seemed to be something important and Tony shook his head. He could feel the panic rising up again and the sound that escaped from his throat sounded inhuman. His eyes darted around; he had to get out of there. He moved even before he realized it and this time the sound deep from within was louder when he found that Tim blocked his way. He could hear Tim talking to him, but the words sounded far away and it he couldn’t understand. His breathing sped up, a pain in his chest made him raise his hand to clutch at his shirt. He had to get away, this time he moved towards the door, no longer caring that Tim stood in his way. He couldn’t stay there - he had to leave. He had to leave right now.

Tony shoved his hands out and pushed Tim forcefully out of his way. He didn’t look back, but reached for the door. Before he could close his hand around the handle, the door swung open and Tony took an involuntary step backwards. The first thing he noticed was the blue eyes. Blue eyes that he woke up to each morning and the last thing he saw each night before he finally drifted off to sleep.

“Jethro,” Tony managed to get the word out and then his eyes rolled over and he slumped forward, not even realizing when Gibbs caught him effortlessly and deposited him safely back on the bed.

“What happened?” Gibbs rested his hand on Tony’s chest to make sure his mate was breathing properly.

“He was fine the one moment and then not, Boss. I don’t know what happened.” Tim sounded worried.

“It’s the stress, Jethro.” Ducky walked into the room with Fornell and Abby on his heels. “Anthony is not yet ready for this, Jethro.”

Gibbs lowered his head. “I know that.” He tried not to snap. He’d been trying to get the bonding ritual postponed since _that_ day, but he’d been pressured from all the sides. He knew it was the right thing to do, and that things would settle down the moment they were bonded, but it was too quick. Tony was not ready yet. Neither were any of them - not after what had happened.

**Council headquarters: 24 hours after slaying of fledgling vampires**

_It was with great difficulty that Gibbs managed to hold his temper in check. After the President informed him of the decision they made, Gibbs excused himself. Even as he exited the Oval Office, he started making calls. He made sure that every single member of the coven knew they had to come to headquarters. An invite was extended to any member of the clan who was also in the city to join them. Within a few hours every single vampire in the US knew they had to report to their nearest council office and that they had to stay put. Gibbs knew what was going to happen. No slayer was going to take out the time to make sure they were dealing with a blood-crazed fledgling; all vampires would be killed on sight. That night, headquarters nearly burst from its seams, but it looked like they were all accounted for. Then the carnage started._

_Gibbs was in the boardroom with the rest of the council when the first images were broadcast of the slaughtering of the teenagers. It disgusted Gibbs that they showed it on live TV, but there was nothing he could do about it. Throughout the complex he could hear the coven growl about it. They understood that it was necessary to kill them, but to gun them down like that and then to behead them – that was a show of power and nothing more._

_For the next few days, few of them managed to rest. Most eyes were glued to TV screens, listening to radio stations and news bulletins as the slayers moved from killing turned teenagers to attacking anyone who even looked at them cross-eyed. All the killings were done under the banner of ‘ridding the city of evil’._

_And then it seemed like the third world war broke out. Several families were attacked in their homes, mostly in the same manner as the Sheppard family. To Gibbs, Ducky, Fornell, Timothy and the rest of the council it was clear who was responsible for these murders. The European clan was killing everyone that looked human and they were taunting the local authorities, the Presidency as well as the Slayers. The city was placed on lock down. No one was allowed on the streets, it didn’t matter what time of the day it was. Should you place your foot outside your home, the national guard had the right to shoot you. Gibbs wasn’t sure if they thought that would help, because it didn’t. Then the one Senator and his family after another other were killed in the same manner. The Secretary of State and his family was next and the vice President was killed, but his family was spared. They had a message to relay. Every human would be killed until there were none left, unless the President signed over each and every life to the European council and become what humans were meant to be – slaves._

_On the one side, the Slayers still killed each and every person they believed to be a vampire, on the other side, the European vampires killed each and every person they saw as being human. In one week, five thousand humans were killed by the two opposing forces and the city of Washington DC became a field of death._

_By that time, Gibbs had managed to get Tony out of the hospital unseen. Tony had retreated into himself. His human mate trusted no one. Not him, not Ducky, not Abby and not even Timothy. He didn’t talk, he refused to walk and if he felt that he did something wrong, he would try to make it up with sexual favors. He refused to wear clothes, slept on the floor on a single sheet and crawled around on all fours._

_Gibbs was at a loss, but Ducky told him not to give up hope. Ducky was the one who told him to continue to talk to Tony - to tell him about their lives, their cultures, their beliefs. He even brought a book for Gibbs to read to Tony; well over a thousand years old, which not only told Tony about their history, but gave Gibbs some insight on how one of his ancestors ruled as Tatell. Slowly he made progress. No longer did Tony crawl around or sleep on the floor. He still refused to talk, except to Gibbs and then only in whispered tones. He started asking questions and could listen hours on hours to Gibbs as he talked to him about how he grew up, on what he had seen in his long life. They grew closer and their bond became stronger._

_After a month and a half, Tony finally had the self-belief that he was worthy as Gibbs’ mate, but more important that as a human he had a place in life. He could be around people, not many at one time, but could handle himself until he could manage to slip away. He’d met a few vampire toddlers and it was difficult to say who was more impressed, the little ones with him, or he with them. He would make sure they took their naps, had their bottles of milk or blood, whichever they wanted, and he would read them bedtime stories. Gibbs finally had the chance to talk to him about them._

_One conversation that was difficult was when Gibbs explained to Tony what it would mean to ‘really’ become his mate. For Tony the problem was not only about him being turned into something other than a human, but if he was ‘suitable’ for such a destination. He freaked out, and with reason, when Gibbs explained to him that he would be nearly drained of all his blood, fed blood from Gibbs’ own body, while the whole process would kick off with them having sex in front of the whole coven. He was worried that he wouldn’t be able to take the blood which Gibbs would have to feed him, but Gibbs, with the help of Ducky, and even Tobias, explained that at that stage of the proceedings, he would be in such a deep connection with Gibbs, that it would not be difficult for him to accept the blood. Gibbs would also help Tony in any way possible._

_Gibbs was aware of the fact that after the first bite, Tony would have no problem with having sex with him as his body would crave it and he would even beg for it, but after the ordeal Tony had with Olaf and Gunter, he didn’t talk about being intimate or anything remotely sexual. Even when he offered himself up for sex earlier, he did it as a sign of submission and not as something sexual or even sensual. It had taken Gibbs six weeks just to be able to hold Tony’s hand without Tony trying to pull away. They had moved from light kisses on the cheek or the forehead, to fleeting kisses on the lips, but nothing more._

_Then Tony found a book on the bonding ritual and nearly had a panic attack. Gibbs and Ducky had spoken to him. Ducky spoke to both of them at length and it seemed like Tony was holding it all together and with pressure of the council and with the month of September approaching fast they agreed that the bonding could take place. Tony maintained that he was fine, but Gibbs soon realized something – Tony had placed on a mask. This one was so good that if it weren’t for the fact that Gibbs had gotten to know his mate over the past week, he would’ve been fooled as well. For whatever reason he decided to ignore the mask and made believe that was everything was just fine as Tony was – except it was not._

_Tony had many questions and Gibbs answered every one with patience. If Tony asked a question and he was unsure of the answer, he would look up Ducky or one of the other elders and find the answer. Tony also spent a lot of time talking to the other human that shared the large home dwelling – Mary. Gibbs had made sure she was brought to safety the moment the killings started. Now, she and Tony spent hours sitting together talking about anything under the sun. With Mary’s help Gibbs managed to show Tony how his eyes changed in certain instances when he thought about Tony. In the beginning Tony was freaked out about it, although he didn’t say anything out loud, but even that got better. And then they had to start talking about their future bond and the fact that Gibbs would turn Tony into something like him._

Now, it was hours before the bonding ritual and it was clear that Tony was not going to be able to go through with it. Hell, Gibbs himself wasn’t even sure if he could go through it. But, the date was set, the Council was present, the President and SecNav were present, and Gibbs’ whole coven was gathered together. Ducky had finally convinced Gibbs to tell Tony about the prophecy that they had to fulfill, that they had no choice in the matter, not if they wanted the human race to survive, not if they wanted the Slayers gone and the Brood on both sides of the ocean under _their_ control. To Gibbs it came as no surprise that when Tony heard about their task, he made up his mind. It didn’t matter to him that he wasn’t ready, if it meant that there was a chance for them to stop the Slayers, to stop the European faction and to show the humans that vampires were just another species on earth, then he was all for it.

Gibbs turned and looked at the circle of vampires around him. As a clan they were always very close, they had all walked the earth together for many years, they had seen human friends born, grow up, grow old and die. They had faced foes for more years than they wished, but it was the first time that they encountered a human that was a bondmate. They were in unchartered waters and the stress took its toll on all of them. Gibbs had snapped at all of them more than once, but they stayed with them, given him and Tony the encouragement, guidance and general sense of acceptance, whenever they needed it. Gibbs looked up and smiled a smile that reached his eyes for the first time in a very long time, except when he looked at Tony. “Give us a few moments, please.” He smiled again as he received nods from all of them and he waited patiently for them to clear the room, before he focused on his mate again and found Tony looking up at him.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Tony had no idea how long he had been out, but when he regained consciousness, he found himself staring into the blue eyes, flecked with speckles of green and couldn’t help but to relax. Jethro loved him. Never in his life could he say anything like that before. His own mother was a distant memory of playing dress up, late night parties and movies on Thursday. It was combined with her drinking his sea monkeys, loud screaming matches with his father and her ending up in hospital dying. After that, he became an object to be used when his father made deals with people who were family men, to make sure he behaved at his best, to be seen and not heard. To keep out under foot and to be the local punching bag when those deals fell through, because, it was no one else’s fault, except his. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t there, or that he acted as the perfect prop, in the end someone had to be guilty of something and he was the perfect solution. The right sized punching bag who could not put up a fight, who learned from an early age not to try to run away, but who took the beatings until his body failed and he would wake up the following morning with broken bones and bruises all over his body. The help would patch him up, spin a likely story of him falling out of a tree and child services would never lift an eyebrow. He never hit back, he never tried to defend himself, until that day he was twelve and his father forgot about him in Hawaii. Once again, it was _his_ fault and his father didn’t even wait for the front door to close behind him when he started laying it hard on Tony. He used his fists, he’d removed his belt and as Tony tripped over his own feet and landed on the floor, the kicks started to find their way onto his body as well. But then something changed. Still today, Tony was unsure of what had happened, but he found himself reaching out for his father’s foot that was travelling at high speed towards his head and gripped it hard, twisting it in his hands and making his father lose his footing. He had no idea who was more surprised at this action – him or his father. With blood oozing from his mouth and his nose, Tony made it up to his feet and straightened his shoulders. “You will not lay a hand on me again. If you wish your precious name to stay clean you will send me off to boarding school or even military school. You will let me lead my own life, or I will make our life hell.” Tony had managed to shrug his shoulders. “Or, you can kill me right here, but the Hawaiian police took photos of me before they released me into the hands of your attorney. If they learn about my death, you’ll have a few questions to answer, and although I know you’ll be able to come out on the other side clean, it will take at least a few weeks, and just what tarnish would your name have suffered in that period of time?”

For a long time his father stood in front of him, his hands balled into fists, before he finally relaxed. “Get out from under my feet. You’re no longer my child.” He cocked his head. “If it wasn’t for the fact that I personally made sure that it was your DNA that was tested, I wouldn’t have believed that you were indeed mine. It is true what they say, if the bitch is weak, the litter is weak as well.” It was the last time DiNozzo Senior spoke to his son. It was also the last time he ever laid a hand on Tony. Unfortunately, the beating might have stopped, but the nightmares never did. The only thing that helped was a sound proofed room and a piano in which he poured all of his emotions and hid behind different masks away from the world. That was until he met with Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

“You are the first one to love me for who I am.” He spoke the words he thought about mere seconds earlier out loud. He explained everything. For the first time in his life he confided in someone else. Tony reached out and traced the fine lines on the corners of Jethro’s eyes. “Your whole face lights up when you smile. You are all grumpy on the outside, but still a man, or should I say a vampire of honor on the inside.” Tony took a deep breath. “I’m scared.”

Gibbs had cocked an eyebrow. It gave him something to do as he got his own emotions under control. To hear what Tony’s father had done to him. To hear about the neglect he suffered at the hands of his mother, made him want to find the woman and kill her again. Already he made a note to find Tony’s father. The man would pay for what he had done. Gibbs managed to lighten the mood. “I think you just described me as some sort of gooey chocolate.” He smiled. “I’m also scared.”

“And yet, we have no choice. Not if we want to win this battle and in the end this war.” Tony dragged a hand over his face. “I’m not scared of bonding with you.” He shook his head. “No, no, I’m lying. I am scared, but not for the reasons you think. Yes, I’m freaking out thinking that we need to have sex in front of so many people to consummate our bond, not because I’m scared that you will hurt me, because you can’t. But, I’m scared that I will not live up to your expectations of me. That you will be disappointed in me. That you will be repulsed.” He placed his hand on Jethro’s mouth when his mate wanted to interrupt. “I need to say this while I still have the courage to do so.” He waited for Jethro to nod in agreement before he removed his hand and continued. “I had a few boyfriends in my life, I played the field with the ladies as well, but it’s been a while. I told you that when Gunter and Olaf had me, I retracted into the deepest place within my mind, I did it to survive. It was not the first time I had to do something like that, but it’s a coping method that worked before.” Without looking away, Tony proceeded to tell his mate of his past. He did it without looking away, but only lowered his eyes when he was done. “My body is scared, not only from those injuries as a result of my work, but also as a result of my youth, and it’s one of the reasons I feel I am not good enough for you. When I had sex with another, it was always done in the dark, and I never stayed the night. No one has seen me naked, or if they have, it was the parts of my body I could show off without showing them what was hidden beneath. I don’t want you to be sickened by the sight of me. If it’s possible that we can do this mating with the bare minimum of clothes being removed, it would be all right with me.”

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Of all the things he thought Tony would be scared about, he never thought it would be that the sight of him might repulse him. “Being bondmates means being bonded to one another on a level more than just the physical aspect of things. For bondmates, are perfect for each other. It doesn’t matter how we look, the gods have brought us to one another, a half of the other and that is all that matters.” Gibbs leaned in and kissed Tony on the brow. “I can promise you that no one would look at you in any way other than with love, because of who you are, what you are to me. And to me – you are perfect.” He smiled as Tony relaxed in his arms. “What else are you scared about?” He moved their bodies so that Tony’s head rested on his chest.

For a few seconds he thought Tony would not answer him, but then his human spoke up. “The battle that is to follow.”

Gibbs sighed. He would be a hypocrite if he said that it didn’t scare him as well. In a sense, they would start World War III and it could escalate into something even bigger if not handled correctly. “The prophecy is clear, and it’s on our side. Even before we stepped up to the plate, that part of the battle is already won. The moment we are bonded, each member of the vampire brood across the world will know we are bonded and who we are. They will know it would be foolish to go against us. But, there will still be bloodshed. The European factions on this side have committed horrendous deeds of evil and they will have to pay for them. We are also facing the Slayers, who luckily for us, overplayed their hands with the Administration and by ignoring the orders from the President himself to stop their actions, made them more of an enemy than an ally. The past two months have shown the normal average person that there is actual little to choose between the Slayers and the European faction – both needs to be stopped. The President already agreed to set his forces on the Slayers as we take down the Vampires. It would be a coordinated strike, and I for one, hope it will be swift, but unfortunately it will still be bloodied.”

“You can still die.”

Gibbs nodded his head. “And I may survive. Being the seventh son of the seventh son, means a linage of fathers and fathers of fathers of fathers who fought in battle, who fought right alongside those we need to defend. It’s what we do - it’s who we are. If it means freeing your people and mine from the oppression of what they will have to endure should the Slayers lead the humans and the European faction lead the vampires, then I would give up my life at any time. And so would you.”

Gibbs stroked Tony’s hair when his mate nodded his head in agreement. “What if I don’t survive?”

Gibbs knew Tony was no longer referring to the battle they had to fight, but to the bonding ritual they had to complete. Ducky had made sure that both he and Tony were aware of the fact that Tony might not survive the ritual. The fact that the last ritual was done over three thousand years before meant that even between the eldest of the elders they had little information to go on, except what was written in their books.

Gibbs knew he shouldn’t snort, but he couldn’t help it. He leaned in and kissed Tony’s hair when his mate looked up at him with a frown on his face. “You’re too stubborn not to make it, mate of mine.” He squeezed Tony’s shoulder. Yes, the possibility was there, but he for one, was not even going to think about it. Tony was special; Tony was his and he would survive.

The sound of a large bell ringing made both men sigh. “It’s time. You’re ready for this?” Gibbs asked as he pulled Tony up higher to kiss him again. He loved the way Tony melted against him, and wished they could continue just to kiss like this and forget about everything around them. Unfortunately, a knock at the door put an end to that wish.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Tony sighed as Jethro released him from the kiss and he looked up, smiling when the green speckled blue eyes gazed back at him. “Let’s do this.” He untangled himself from Jethro and got to his feet. He picked up the loose tunic Abby placed on the bed. “Don’t let Abby help me with this, please.”

“I’ll make sure Mary keeps her busy. Unfortunately, you are not to be left alone, so will it be all right if Tim comes in again, or would you prefer it to be someone else?”

Tony groaned. “It is already bad enough as it is, but since I need to get dressed into that, I’ll take Timothy. And least I still can pull rank on him.”

Gibbs laughed. “You do realize he’s still older than you.”

Tony shook his head. “No, don’t go there. I’m not going there. Just thinking about it makes me freak out. Tim is still a young innocent virgin; he’s not older than me.” Tony looked up. “And Abby is my _younger_ sister, so don’t even go there.” He couldn’t help but to smile. The three of them had a couple of long conversations as well. They’d cleared the air, and he was no longer angry about anything they might have hidden from him. Although, in all fairness, Abby did try to enlighten him about their existence on more than one occasion.

Gibbs smiled again. “Whatever makes you happy. He still knew it was difficult for Tony to believe that both Abby and Timothy were older than he was, but their friendship was strong again, and that was all that mattered. “You all right now?” He asked, still concerned about the fact that Tony had a rather big panic attack just a short while ago.

“I’ll be fine, thank you.” Tony leaned in and kissed his future mate on the mouth. “Still pissed that I’m not allowed to be there for the first part of the ceremony, but at least, Tim will be able to tell me all about it later.”

Gibbs nodded. He hated the fact as well, but there was nothing to be done about that. For his inauguration as _Tatell_ Tony was not allowed to attend, his bond to Gibbs not yet completed. Luckily for both of them, the first part of the ceremony would not last long. “I will see you shortly.” Gibbs took a deep breath, tilted Tony’s head and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “I love you, mate of mine.” He whispered the words against Tony’s skin and then moved away.

Jethro was out of the room, even before Tony could respond to the statement. He had a dazed expression on his face as his fingers touch his lips. He could still feel Jethro’s lips against him, he could still hear the whispered words and he found himself relaxing. All was going to work out.

Tony looked up as the door opened and Timothy stepped inside. “McGee,” Tony held up the loose tunic of white with a crimson band at the bottom. “Help me with this.” He placed the tunic in his friend’s hand and started to unbutton his shirt. It was time to do this.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Ducky stood next to Jethro with Tobias on the other side in front of the large oval stone that they used as their _altar_. It was here that the Council was sworn in. It was the same place where they announced the births in the coven and mourned the dead. Now, it would become the place where Jethro would take in his rightful place as the _Tatell_ over every vampire in the country and in the world. It was the beginning of a new era. Ducky took a deep breath and moved a step forward and turned to face them. He looked over the faces that surrounded them. They were marked with hardship from what happened the past two months. Now it was the time to put it all to an end.

He bowed first to Tobias and then to Jethro and smiled. “Longevity can be a burden and a blessing all at the same time. Those of your own kind will be with you for many moons. You will get to know your friends like the back of your own hand, because as a coven, a clan or even as the whole brood we are always together. It does not matter if we are separated by land or by ocean we remain family. But, as we all know through nature, it is not possible that we can live together in harmony forever and disputes will arise. It is what we do in those disputes that determine our way forward.” Ducky took a deep breath. “Before the new world was discovered we all lived together. We lived among our human counterparts and there was peace. But, times changed. Power and greed settled into our hearts. The thought of being better than those around us became part of who we were and we started to take things for granted. Things like, common sense, love for one another and friendship. Instead, we focused on ourselves, to say that we are the better than the one living next to us. Why? Because we live longer? Because we’ve got heightened senses? Because we are the better hunter? Because we are the least likely to become ill and die? Or, is it because we didn’t care anymore, we didn’t care for those whom we called our friends and we didn’t care for ourselves.” Ducky looked around him and sighed. “Our human friends celebrate their birth years each year. For them, it’s a year to celebrate in which they got older, maybe survived something horrible or just that it was a good one, and that they are looking forward to the next one. To us, as vampires, to us, a birth date is just another day gone past. There’s so many of them, that most of us can’t even remember our first ones, we became arrogant. We became superior and we forgot. We forget what it is to feel passion, to feel compassion, how it was to feel alive – to be alive.” He sighed again. “And all of this happened more than three thousand years ago. From there on everything we stood for, we believed in went out of the window and we all went to hell in a hand basket. It tore our brood apart. Brother fought against brother, father against son, mother against mother, but we didn’t care, because why should we? We, of all the creatures alive on this planet were superior and no one could stop us. That was until we finally realized that we need to stop ourselves.”

Ducky reached for an old leather bounded volume and as it flipped open it landed on a page that was well read. He looked at the faces before him yet again. “This is a journal, one of only two that is from the original _Tatell’s_ blood brother, Gustav. The other is lost to us, but we still find comfort in this one and hope that we will be reunited with the second journal before our days of future past will be upon us. Gustav was the guardian to the _Tatell_ when war broke out between ourselves, when greed finally gave way instead of common sense and he did the only thing he could think of. He placed the one person he had vowed to defend with his life in the hands of a human couple and saw how they climbed aboard a large sea vessel and headed into the unknown. That is where Jethro’s story began. It’s the journey of how a young vampire heir came to a new place, got raised by humans and a governess who realized who he was and vowed to keep him safe by keeping his story safe. Such started the line of vampire men who served for the good of _mankind_. Who served as warriors to keep the humans they saw as family safe, to keep what they saw as part of their coven and clan safe, and to uphold the original honor placed in ourselves in being part of the brood. The seventh son of the seventh son, hailed by the King. He is the King. No longer is he just another servant to make sure that good is done, it is time for him to take his rightful place and be what he was born to be – King. Our _Tatell_. The signs cannot be misinterpreted; we are already at war, with those from our own kind and with those who despise what we are. This war will only come to an end if we are led by our new king, if we are led by his mate. It is the time of action, it is the time to stand together, to unite after so much blood spilled, years of separation and to live in harmony once again. This union between our _Tatell_ and his mate will be the beginning of new things. It will be our new beginning.”

For the first time since he started talking, Ducky made eye contact with the younger vampire that stood in front of him. He smiled, but then addressed the vampire next to him. “As appointed guardian to the new _Tatell_ , one of our own, do you Tobias Fornell take responsibility for the safety of our leader? To guide him with words, to honor him with your deeds and to keep him safe with the means to your disposal?” He waited until Tobias went on one knee before he picked up a ceremonial dagger, reached for Tobias’ right hand and sliced the palm deep, letting the blood trail down the inside of his arm and onto the stone floor. “Do you freely give your life for his?”

Fornell’s voice could be heard clearly throughout the ceremonial area as he spoke up. “As appointed guardian to our new _Tatell_ , I take full responsibility for the safety of our King. I will guide him with words, I will honor him with my deeds and I will keep him safe with all the means I have at my disposal. My life is his.”

Ducky nodded and then looked at Jethro. His charge also went onto one knee, his right hand extended, palm facing up. Without a word, Ducky sliced deep into Gibbs’ palm, letting the blood flow freely. “As the one seventh time worthy and as _Tatell_ , do you Leroy Jethro Gibbs promise to lead this coven, clan and brood with honor and honesty? To guide us to where we need to go? To keep us safe, not only from those who want to harm us, but also from ourselves? Will you give praise where praise is due, will you hand out justice where it is asked and will you take vengeance where it is needed?”

“As _Tatell_ , I promise to lead this coven, clan and brood with honor and honesty. I will guide us as a family and will keep us safe from those who want to harm us, but also from ourselves. Praise will be freely given, justice will be served and vengeance will be swift. This I promise with my life as it belongs to all.”

Ducky took the two vampires’ hands and pressed them together. It symbolized the union between the ordinary vampire and their king. They were all one, and this blood oath sealed it. He let both men rise to their feet and smiled as Tobias hugged Jethro hard, before going down on his knees, his right hand over his chest as he bowed deeply. Ducky followed suit and each vampire present followed suit. He couldn’t help but to note that their human companions stood with their hands over their hearts as well, heads bowed out of respect. Ducky rose and with him everyone else. He hugged Jethro hard and turned him around so that Jethro faced the vampires around him. “Our King, our _Tatell_. This time a roar of celebration went up and Ducky smiled. The first part of their new destiny was set in place. It was time for the next part.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Timothy entered the room again after he helped Tony dress and then attended the _crowning_ ceremony. They now had a king once again. “You ready?” He asked as he watched Tony with concern. His friend paced around the room again.

Tony shrugged at the question, but stopped pacing. “Is it done?” He asked instead.

Timothy grinned from ear to ear. “It’s done. Gibbs is now our new _Tatell_ and soon you’ll be the _Tatell mate_.”

Tony nodded sharply at the reply and turned to face his friend. “Do you think I’m worthy?”

Timothy frowned at the question and then sighed. “You are worthy. He is going to need someone who can stand up to him. Someone with a level head that would be able to think things through, without storming off into battle without a plan and to wing it as it goes down. I’ve seen you with Gibbs. He does not intimidate you. You speak your mind. But, more importantly, you’re his mate. The way his eyes changes color, the way he looks at you, you’re the one, Tony.”

“What if I fuck things up?”

Timothy cocked his head and snorted. “And do you think now that Gibbs is the _Tatell_ , he will automatically be perfect and not fuck things up? There’s a council that will guide you; you have me, Abby, Tobias, Ducky and Gibbs to help you, to answer any questions that you may have. I think in the end, you’ll make fewer mistakes than Gibbs will - at least you think things through, even if it’s just for a second longer.” He walked over to his friend and slapped him lightly on the shoulder. “It will all work out.”

Tony looked out of the window again, lost in thought. He was aware that he had to make his way to the ceremonial area, but he just needed a few moments more. He turned and looked at the vampire that busied himself, picking up Tony’s discarded shirt and trousers, neatly folding them up as he waited patiently for Tony to say he was ready. “Ducky said I needed to pick a protector.”

Timothy nodded his head. “Yes, it’s like a sort of a bodyguard, although not totally, but the protector also plays the role of sounding board. The protector will give his life up in a blink of an eye for you, but is also in a position to say what he thinks. He is second in command to you, just as you are second in command to Gibbs.” He looked at Tony. “Fornell is Gibbs’ protector.”

Tony frowned. “You sound surprised by it?”

Timothy shook his head. “Not really, it was the logical choice as they’ve known each other from birth. But, according to our history, it happened before that someone on the council was chosen for that position, instead of a confident like what Fornell is to Gibbs. It’s supposed to show that there is balance in the higher hierarchy.”

“So Gibbs made the wrong choice?” Tony frowned at the idea.

“No,” Timothy shook his head. “He made the perfect choice. He chose someone he knew would have his six. Just like he knows you will.”

Tony nodded at the information. A bell tolled through the halls, marking the next hour and the time for him to become part of this completely new world. He sighed, squared his shoulders and made his way over to the door. He reached out to open the door, when he lowered his hand and turned to Timothy who stood behind him. “I’ve chosen you to be my protector.” He smiled as he saw the look of shock in Timothy’s eyes for a moment, before his best friend grew calm again.

“It is a great honor, Tony. Thank you.” He bowed his head in acceptance and followed the human in front of him out of the room.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Tony stepped into the bright sunlight and took a deep breath. The enormous gardens spread out before him. He could hear some birds chatter, the wind softly blowing in his direction. Timothy was still at his heels, but knew the moment he stepped onto the pebbled area he would be on his own. He took another deep breath and then moved forward across the great stones towards a large oval stone that indicated their sacred grounds. Calmness settled over him the moment he laid eyes on Gibbs. Everything else around him disappeared as he moved over the stones to take his place next to the man who was about to become his bondmate.

He was faintly aware that Gibbs was talking to him, while he slowly stripped him of the robe that covered his nakedness. Tony’s hand shook as he returned the favor. For a moment, he wondered if Gibbs was dressed like this before, or if he had to change as well.

Human and vampire kneeled, with Ducky standing before them, and Tobias and Mara on either side of them. Tobias stood for the vampires, and Mara stood for the humans. In a perfect world, his father should’ve filled that spot, but at least now he had someone who cared about him. He turned and managed to smile when he found Gibbs’ eyes locked with his.

“You are doing so well.” Gibbs whispered as he leaned in and kissed Tony softly on the forehead. He rolled his eyes as a very familiar sob was heard from behind of him. “I told her no water works.” He smiled at Tony as his words had the necessary effect and Tony relaxed.

“Abby’s just happy for you, that’s all.”

“No, Tony, she’s happy for the both of us.” Gibbs reached out, took Tony’s right hand in his left and squeezed it hard. “Let’s do this.”

Tony looked at their interlinked hands and took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.” He looked up and found Ducky’s gaze on him. “I’m ready.” His voice surprised him, it was full of confidence and he nodded again. It was going to work out.

Ducky cleared his throat and started to speak. “In the human culture, when two people fall in love and want to spend the rest of their lives together, they normally get married. They become a unit, start a family, grow old together and unfortunately die at the end of that cycle. In essence, a bonding ritual is the same, but it is also vastly different. To be part of a bonding ritual, both parties need to be mates – bond mates. Bond mates are rare, as vampires, we see only one bond-mated-pair out of a thousand pairings. The last recorded human-vampire bond-mated-pairing was over three thousand years ago. The eldest of the elders here with us today, has missed this by over a thousand years.” He cleared his throat again. “When _Tatell_ Gibbs informed me that he found his bond mate, I reacted badly. I was at a loss for words, and I fear I came across as being unsupportive. We have spoken about this, and we cleared the air. The reason why I’m bringing this up now is that even after all this time I’m still speechless. Anthony DiNozzo has managed to capture the heart of a hard vampire - a vampire who lived for his job as an enforcer in our own special agency. Many of us know him for the second B of his last name, but Tony looked past that, and they forged a friendship, but more than that, they forced an everlasting bond. Don’t get me wrong the human and vampire are both stubborn but they complete each other. We are in times predicted by the prophecies and remembered by the elders, it is time for us to breach a new era. And these two bond mates will lead the way.”

Ducky turned his attention back to the two males before him. He addressed Gibbs first. “As _Tatell_ you have a responsibility to all of your species; you have made a promise to guide them, to respect them and to keep them safe. You have an even greater responsibility to the human next to you. To the man who is about to become half of you. You will forge a bond that can only be broken by death. You will give him your blood freely, just as he will accept it freely. You will bond in a carnal way for all of us to see that this bond is both of a pure and of a physical nature. You will take his life away from him and fill it with your own and in that you will become bond mates.” Ducky picked up a silver ceremonial knife, the handle wrapped in leather and made a cut, this time on Gibbs’ left hand. The knife sizzled as it carved into Gibbs’ skin. At first, it seemed as if he was not bleeding, but then the blood streamed to the surface. “This is the blood you will share. Just as it is sacred to you, so is it sacred to your mate. Without this blood you will not survive, without this blood, he will not survive.” Ducky took hold of Tony’s right hand and made a similar cut into the palm. “Blood of yours will be shed on this day. It will be a sign of your courage and your strength as you become one of us, as you become the bond mate of our _Tatell_.” He pressed the two bleeding palms together, although Gibbs’ palm already started to heal.

“Do you, Leroy Jethro Gibbs accept this responsibility over your mate? To love him and to protect him, but most of all to accept him as your other half as you will become bond mates from today until the sun sets on your last day of your life, whenever that may be.”

Gibbs pressed his palm hard against Tony’s. He could see that Tony was starting to panic again with the words Ducky uttered, but he also knew Tony would not back out; instead, he knew his mate just needed some encouragement. “I vow to love and to protect him. I accept him as I accept myself. We are one, as we will be one in the future to come.” He lowered his voice so that only those standing around him could hear. “I vow to take the time to listen to him, to make sure we understand one another and to tell him that I love him at least two times a day.” His last promise worked as Tony grinned, his green eyes shone brightly.

Ducky turned to Tony. “Do you, Anthony DiNozzo as intended bond mate to our _Tatell_ , vow to love him, to care for him and to protect him? To take what he is willing giving to you and to become one of a pair as you will be bonded together for ever until the sun sets on you on your last day of your life, whenever that may be.”

Tony had to take a deep breath before he could speak. “I vow to love him, to care for him and to protect him with the last breath in my body. I will accept his blood that he will give freely to me, as I accept what he is in my life. As he is my mate, so I am his.”

Ducky looked at Mary and at Tobias and as both of them nodded their heads that they were satisfied with the vows exchanged, Ducky picked up the two sets of tunics and stepped away, revealing a large bed behind him. It was the last part of the ceremony, one that was very sacred to them, but could also mean the death to the human half of this pairing. Ducky said a silent prayer and then moved away. Only Gibbs and Tony remained behind.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs guided Tony over to the bed and placed him on his back, stretched out beneath him as he bent over him and scented his skin. Just as he was able to pinpoint Tony in a crowd with his heartbeat, he would now be able to track him by his scent alone. After the ceremony and after Tony healed, he would be able to track Gibbs in much the same way.

Tony was tense beneath him, and Gibbs moved up his body, placing kisses as he went along. “Forget about them, this is about us, and only us.” He whispered the words and then took Tony’s head in between his hands and kissed him deeply. He moved his body against Tony’s not one of them hard, but he could feel the first tingling in his cock as Tony started to respond to his kisses and his touches. He left no spot alone, but mapped Tony’s body out with his mouth, he nibbled at his skin, lapped up the sweat the pooled in the hallows of his abs and slowly he started making love to the man who managed to capture his heart.

Gibbs grinned against Tony’s skin as he found a sensitive spot just on the side of Tony’s ribs which made the man beneath him shudder and a sensual gasp escaped from his lips. He lapped at the area again, wanting to hear that sound again and was rewarded by his persistence as Tony gasped out his name. He lifted his head and looked at Tony. His mate’s pupils were dilated with pleasure and he could feel Tony’s erection between his legs. “Going to take my time with you, going to make you scream my name, begging me for release.” He smiled as Tony’s eyes grew large at his words. “But, that’s for the next time, now I need to explore you some more.” He put deed to his words and made his way down Tony’s body yet again. Soon Tony was breathing rapidly, his hands fisting the sheet beneath him as he murmured words of need to his mate.

Gibbs moved lower and straddled Tony’s hips. He took both of their straining cocks in hand and stroked them together. He had to bite into his bottom lip not to shout out loud, but Tony didn’t care, he did shout and begged for more. No longer did he care who was watching, he only had eyes for the man who sat on top of him. “I want you to cum with me, Tony. Let’s ride this first wave together.” Gibbs didn’t give his mate time to respond, but tightened the grip he had around their cocks and rubbed them against one another. Their heads gleamed with pre-cum, and he used his palm to smear the clear liquid over the sensitive heads and the shafts. He used his left hand to fondle Tony’s sack and then his own, as he brought them closer to completion with every stroke. He slicked up his finger and found Tony’s hole, rubbing over the little hole in long strokes and finally dipping his finger in as Tony’s hips thrust upwards and he gasped for air. “Cum for me,” he leaned forward and as Tony’s orgasm took over and his own followed suit, he captured Tony’s mouth and swallowed the scream that emerged from Tony as they chased their first release together.

Gibbs knew it was time to draw Tony’s blood, while his mate was still coming down from his first blazing orgasm. He could feel his fangs lengthen as they grazed softly over the delicate stretched skin of Tony’s neck and then he bit down and pierced Tony’s flesh. He could feel Tony tensing up beneath him and Tony even tried to push him off, but he held him closer and made sure Tony could not move away. Finally, the pain gave way to pleasure and Gibbs could drink freely. Gibbs had no idea on when he had to stop, and no one could give him a specific answer, but all the elders said the same thing. He must trust his instinct and he would know when to stop when it was time.

As Gibbs took Tony’s blood, his mate came undone for a second time and thick ropes of his seed covered his belly and spread over Gibbs’ cock. Tony shivered and went limp and Gibbs decreased the pressure and withdrew his fangs from Tony’s neck. Tony had a blissed out expression on his face and Gibbs knew his mate no longer felt any pain. He hated to see Tony so pale, but knew it was because of the blood he took. Now it was time to replenish it with his own. He reached for his own wrist, bit deep into the vein and held it against Tony’s mouth. “Drink what I give to you freely; accept what I give to you as my mate as we seal this bond we have, as we become bond mates.”

At first it looked like Tony was not going to drink, his mouth remained closed, but Gibbs didn’t give up. He used his finger to part Tony’s lips slightly. “Drink, Tony. Drink what I offer to you freely.” He used his left hand to massage Tony’s throat slightly and sighed in relief when Tony swallowed the blood that dripped into his mouth. He made sure that Tony drank more of his blood as he kept on telling him how good he was doing, how much he loved him. He smiled when Tony’s eyes opened up and blinked lazily at him.

“You’re doing so well,” Gibbs praised again as he lapped at his bleeding wrist to stop the bleeding for now before he reached down and captured Tony’s mouth in another searing kiss. “I need to feel you around me, you ready for me, Tony?” He whispered the words as he continued to lavish Tony with kisses. He was rock hard again, and even Tony’s own cock was straining against him, ready for more.

“Please,” Tony managed to say out loud as he lifted his hips to ensure more contact with the vampire sprawled out on top of him.

Gibbs carefully turned Tony over, pushing his now very tired lover onto his knees. He used the remnants of expelled cum Tony had provided earlier to coat his own cock. He could only hope it would be enough as he gently pushed himself into Tony. He stopped every few seconds, making sure Tony got used to his girth. Gibbs pushed forward as Tony relaxed around him and let Gibbs take him. Once he was totally surrounded by Tony, the urge to just slam into him over and over again was almost overwhelming, but again, he managed to hold back and take things slowly, carefully and rhythmically pulling out and gently pushing back in.

“Faster Jethro, harder please,” Tony whimpered, as the need to be filled by the one who loved him more than anyone else in the whole world threatened to overtake all of his thoughts. He lifted himself up from off his elbows and once up on his knees, he reached behind him to pull Gibbs closer, willing him to take him faster. Gibbs was only happy to oblige, his pleasure increasing in line with Tony’s who was moaning loudly crying out every now and then as Gibbs hit his prostate.

Gibbs could feel his second orgasm approaching fast and knew it was time to take the rest of Tony’s blood and hoped that Tony would find his third release in their round of lovemaking. He managed to get hold of Tony’s cock and pumped it in rhythm with his own thrusts as he moved in and out of Tony’s tight heat. The angle was perfect, each thrust connected head on with Tony’s prostate, making Tony shiver with pleasure with each breath he took. And as his own release shot out of him, Gibbs sank his fangs into Tony’s shoulder again, marking him as his, marking him for the coven to know that Tony belonged to him. With that a change began in Tony that could not be stopped.

Gibbs hit Tony’s prostrate again, and Tony shuddered as he found his third release. They were interlocked into one, Jethro pounding into him, flesh slapping against flesh. He could feel Jethro’s cock in his tight channel. His gland being grazed over time and time again with each forward thrust. He was dimly aware that things around him were fading away and for a moment he wondered if they were going to sleep there in the middle of this large open area or if there was some sort of plan in place to get them back to their rooms since he was unsure if he’d be able to make it under his own power.

Gibbs could’ve sworn he felt the bindings of them as bond mates set over him, bringing them together as one. For the last time he pushed forward and then bit down into the side of Tony’s neck for a third time. The moment he did that; he instinctively knew it would cause Tony pain. Later on he would ask the elders why, but at that moment in time, he couldn’t stop it. Not if he wanted Tony to survive. _“I’m sorry, I love you, remember this. I love you.”_ Gibbs kept saying same phrase repeatedly in his head, hoping that Tony would hear him. He continued to drink from his mate until he could feel Tony’s heartbeat shutting down, only then did he retract his fangs and replaced his teeth with his wrist, which he bit open again to feed Tony his blood, to get his bond mate to live.

Tony could not understand why the bliss he felt disappeared even as he still could feel Jethro’s arms around him, but then pain appeared and it ripped through his body. He heard himself scream, screaming for the pain to end for Jethro to help him, but it was as if there was no end in sight and then darkness overtook him and he could not remember anything else.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_‘Dimitri, as I have mentioned before was my first friend, later, my blood-bond, lover and my bondmate. I took a great risk when I turned him, for as a child, I have only heard through stories that something like that was indeed possible. In the end it worked out, and Dimitri was in short – my life. We knew one another like the back of our own hands, and sometimes I think even better than that. But, something happened and it changed. No longer could I trust him. He would disappear for days on end, and it did not matter where I searched I could not find him.’_

_‘And then on one of those occasions, I did find him, and for the first time, I wished I had not. He had changed and where I found him over the body of a mere child, I knew it was too late for him to turn back. I do not know who between the two of us was more scared. Myself for what I had to do, or Dimitri, who finally did not have to carry his secret any more. Something in his eyes screamed out to me, that he was not able to stop himself, that I had to do it. I then realized he knew what he has become and I wished that one of the old tales of us walking into the sun and crumble to ash were true. It would’ve been so much easier for the both of us.’_

_‘In the end, he let go of the body, looked at me and asked for forgiveness which I granted him immediately and then he attacked. Because, even though he knew it was the end for him, he was still a fighter at heart and would not give up his own life so easily. I will keep this short, but to say, that we fought for hours. Both of us were in prime fighting condition and as vampires we had the stamina to last for hours. We fought with our hands, feet, fangs and anything else we could find that was around. More than once we wounded one another, drawing blood, weakening ourselves in the process. Dimitri stumbled as at that moment I moved forward to attack, he landed right in my arms, the rusty piece of pipe went through his heart, the sharp ridge against the skin at his back. It was me who asked for forgiveness as he bled out before me, and it was he who told me I did nothing wrong, that he was too weak and that he would love me for eternity.’_

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Council Headquarters – Gibbs’ private suite: 3 Days later**

It was the sounds that surrounded him that brought him back to the life of the living, as before that moment, Tony wasn’t even sure if he was still alive. It was as if he was trapped somewhere, where darkness filled the space around him, but it was not like any other darkness he’d experienced before. It echoed when he tried to call out, noises sounded as if things were right there, next to him. It sounded harsh and unfriendly. Whatever he tried to do, to withdraw within himself, which he was able to do before, didn’t work. It was as if the darkness itself, refused to let him go.

But, it was not only the darkness that refused to let him out of its clutches. Pain – pain filled him to the last molecular level of his body. First, it felt like his whole body was one huge pincushion, and the pins used on him were extra-large and blunt. Then it started to get hot; fire burned in his belly. Tony could’ve sworn he’d screamed without stopping for a single moment, but there was no respite. Then a sort of heaviness settled around him, crushing him under a weight that he could not see, nor touch, but it kept on increasing, forcing the last bit of air he had within his lungs out. It left him gasping for air, as the pain continued to consume him and the fire burned from within. He had no idea on how long it lasted, how long he’d pleaded for someone, something to help him, but he remained alone, and with the darkness that still surrounded him, Tony felt lost.

The first sound that made sense was the sound of his own name. Someone was calling out to him, but even as the darkness allowed the sound to be projected towards him, without feeling alien, it didn’t allow him to respond in kind. He couldn’t remember to whom the voice belonged. And neither did the darkness lift. Tony found himself straining, hoping to hear his name again, hoping to catch a glimpse of hope somewhere.

He had no idea how long it took before he heard the voice again, but this time, Tony concentrated. He listened to the tone and the pitch, on an unconscious level, he knew the voice and he had a feeling that if he could remember to whom the voice belonged, it would in one way or another get him out of this place of darkness.

 _“Tony, Tony?”_ The voice called his name again and it made him frown. He _knew_ that voice, but he just couldn’t place it. It angered him, but it made it harder to hear the voice and he didn’t want to stop hearing it. Tony managed to calm himself down and listened carefully. He could hear the voice faintly and he concentrated on it. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, it was as if the voice was closer, he could hear it better. Tony found himself frowning, and suddenly he could smell things, he smelled familiar things. He smelled gun oil, sawdust and bourbon, but something more than just sawdust, it smelled woody and earthy. It made him relax. _“Tony,”_ the voice spoke up right next to his ear and when he turned he opened his eyes for the first time in three days.

“Jethro?” He blinked once and then once more before everything came into focus and he could see the worried expression of the vampire he now knew he’d never be able to live without.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

To say that Gibbs was slightly pissed would’ve been the understatement of the year. Even Ducky, wisely, stayed out of his way, while the vampire sat silently next to his mate’s bed. His mate, who refused to wake after three days since they completed the bonding ritual. The fact that none of the elders could explain this, made him even harder to deal with than normal. After the first day and a half, Gibbs locked the door to his suite and refused anyone entry. That was after they wanted to take yet another blood sample for testing and he started to feel like they were using Tony as their personal pincushion. He only accepted blood from Tobias to make sure he stayed fed. He fed Tony from his own wrist, at least he’d managed to get some blood into his newly turned mate. He knew it would take Tony a while to get used to the particular taste, but he would make sure that there was other food also available for Tony to eat from when he woke up and found himself to be hungry.

Gibbs sighed again and traced Tony’s features with his finger as his mate continued to ‘sleep’ on. He was unsure if it was the right word to use for Tony’s condition, but to say that he was unconscious or even in a coma was something he didn’t even want to think about. “Tony, please, you need to wake up. I’m starting to worry about you, please, mate of mine, wake up.” It was out of character for him to be so soft-spoken, so tender, but with Tony it was different – it was his mate.

He was so tired and knew that Ducky was concerned about his health. He knew he had to look after himself; they still had a battle to fight. A battle that would not be fought with massive forces on both sides, instead, it would be on a much smaller scale, and Gibbs, together with his mate had to be in front of this battle, it was the way vampires fought. If Gibbs and his mate made it out alive and _slaughtered_ their enemies, then it would show to their brood that they were indeed rightly chosen as _Tatell _and _Tatell-mate_. However, should they fail – it would mean that the human race could kiss their assess goodbye as they _will_ be enslaved. It would just be a matter of how long it would take. Even with their superior weaponry, humans stood no chance against Vampires. They really were at the top of the food chain.__

Then there was also the second battle. The one against the slayers. There, he would gladly accept help from the government in putting an end to that organization, but there was one person he was going to kill himself – that was the slayer who killed the elders. They still had no idea on who it was, but Tobias steadily received information on the identity of the person and Gibbs knew that it would not be too long for them to know who it was. Due to the fact that the organization now worked more in the open, they’d managed to identify quite a few agents and also knew a lot more about their top hierarchy. Something that in the past, they knew little about. It was the secretary to the now deceased Vice President that was able to fill them in about the man right at the top – Trent Kort. From British descent, he was military trained and an ex CIA operative. That raised a few brows and Gibbs had been informed that the President himself was looking into that matter.

Gibbs climbed on top of the bed and pulled Tony into his embrace. Sleep evaded him, but he managed to get some catnaps in between his hours of worry. “Tony,” he spoke softly and pressed a kiss to his mate’s temple. It was then that he noticed it. There was a frown on Tony’s face and at the same time his fingers twitched. “Tony,” Gibbs repeated his mate’s name louder, right next to his ear and couldn’t help but to frown when he received no response, except that Tony groaned, but didn’t open up his eyes. “Tony, wake up, it’s time to open those green eyes of yours, come on, wake up.” He repeated the litany of words, worry now once again edged onto his face as he could _feel_ just how close Tony was to waking up, except that he wasn’t.

“Tony, Tony,” there was more urgency in Gibbs’ voice, now that it looked like Tony was waking up, he needed him to do just that. He could imagine Ducky’s expression in his mind, the older vampire would be frowning at him, telling him to be patient. Well, he couldn’t be – not anymore. It was time that Tony now finally woke up.

“Tony,” he tried once more and then Tony’s eyes opened up and for the first time since Tony went limp in his arms all those days ago, Gibbs relaxed. The worried expression on his face disappeared when Tony looked up at him, blinked as if he was trying to bring the world around him into focus and then uttered his name. And then Gibbs smiled.

“You had me scared there for a while, DiNozzo.” Gibbs’ voice was gruff as he tried to keep his emotions intact. He pulled Tony closer to his side and hugged him hard. “You had me so scared.” He couldn’t help but to repeat the words again, this time softer as if he was scared that someone might hear it. He dragged his hand through Tony’s wavy hair and smiled as his tired looking mate looked up at him.

“How are you feeling?” He knew instinctively that Tony would be hungry, but didn’t want to jolt Tony by just biting at his wrist to feed him, Tony had been through enough already, feeding from him, was not going to be another bad experience for the one he loved.

He could see the way Tony’s throat moved, that he struggled with swallowing and he reached for the bottle of water that stood on the small table next to the bed. Gibbs quickly opened it and held it for Tony to drink. “This will help,” he smiled as Tony avidly drank the water. “Easy, not so fast.” He pulled the bottle back. “Don’t want you to become sick if you drink it too fast.” When Tony nodded in agreement, he placed the bottle to Tony’s lips again and watched as his mate drank some more. This time it was Tony who moved his head away first.

“Ready to try and answer my question now?” Gibbs placed the bottle to the side.

Tony swallowed a few times, his eyes darted around and then he locked his gaze on Gibbs’ face. “I didn’t like that darkness, I couldn’t find myself.” He swallowed hard. He didn’t say anything about the excruciating pain he experienced, instead keeping that to himself. He didn’t want Gibbs to worry about him, already he was a big failure for not even being able to stay conscious after mating with Gibbs. “I couldn’t find myself, until I heard a voice calling out to me, and I tried to get to it, but I couldn’t remember whose voice it was.” He looked guilty. “I forgot your voice, Jethro. I’m sorry, I forgot your voice.”

“Easy, it’s all right, easy.” Gibbs was concerned at how distraught Tony appeared.

Tony shook his head. “No, you don’t understand, how could I forget your voice, you’re my mate. You’re the other part of me. I can feel you in me. I can hear your slow heartbeat in my ears, I’m able to smell you, but I couldn’t remember your voice. It was as if I never heard it before.”

Gibbs sighed and relaxed. He knew what was wrong. “When we mated, I marked you.” He let his finger trail over the red, but already healing wound. “We have indeed become two halves of one, just like we are supposed to be. The problem is, that because you didn't wake up, we didn’t have time to let the bond become more integrated.” He grinned when Tony blushed. It seems his mate realized that they were supposed to fuck like rabbits during the time he was unconscious. “But it will become better, I can promise you that.”

Gibbs could see that his words were not making sense to his mate, so he tried another explanation. “When you first moved into your apartment, the sounds were strange, but you got used to it. When you slept at an unfamiliar place, noises would wake you up easily again. It’s the same here. You are used to my voice on a certain tone level, but with your change, and with our bonding, your sense got enhanced, and the pitch of my voice is not the same as before. That’s why you didn’t remember me, that’s all. By later today, you’ll be able to identify my voice again, even when you sleep.”

Tony looked up at Gibbs. The explanation sounded so logical. “You sure?”

“I’m sure.” Gibbs leaned in and gave Tony a kiss on the mouth. He smiled as Tony groaned against him. It was true what he told the President about fledglings, to them it was all about raging hormones and a very high sex drive. He knew Tony would have no difficulty getting aroused and he had no problems in showing his new mate just how many times he could get him to come undone.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs had to growl at the others around him before they finally left Tony alone. He almost wanted to kick himself for letting Ducky know that Tony had woken up. But, now finally after prodding and probing Tony yet again they were on their own and he couldn’t get enough of his mate. They were both naked, lying face to face, him tracing Tony’s body with his hands, taking note of the sighs, arches and giggles that escaped as he explored his mate. He pinched Tony’s nipple, and made Tony arch up into the touch. He filed it away for future reference. It looked like his mate loved a bit of pain with his pleasure. He reached across, tucked Tony’s head closer and kissed him hard. Tony immediately opened up and went limp against him as he continued the kiss. Gibbs let his fingers bruise as he pressed into the different hotspots he already pinpointed on Tony’s body and then he turned them, Tony at the bottom, with him on top. He used his nails to leave long dark scratches on Tony’s stomach, the top of his thighs and also on the inside. The marks looked angry, but he didn’t draw blood. Gibbs grinned, he loved it. He loved to see his mate tremble with want and need and it was as if something inside of him _had_ to mark Tony in any way possible.

Gibbs let his cock slide along Tony’s, loving the way Tony moaned beneath him. He reached for the lube and slicked it over himself and used his knees to part Tony’s legs. “Gonna let you cum just from my cock, Love, nothing else.”

Tony arched up towards him at Gibbs’ words. His eyes lust blown and he gasped as Gibbs’ finger breached him. He moved his hips, wanting more and spread his legs as Gibbs withdrew that single digit before lining up and pushing into him in with one smooth stroke.

Both men stilled as they connected, for Gibbs because although he loved marking Tony, he would never hurt him intentionally and Tony because he loved to feel Gibbs so deep within him. It was as if his body craved Gibbs’ cock. Gibbs thrust into the tight channel, and Tony cried out loud. Gibbs moved his legs and found Tony’s gland on the next thrust.

“Fuck!” Tony arched upwards again as his world exploded into a million pieces. Gibbs kept on thrusting forward, keeping the angle perfect, pinning Tony’s gland on each thrust. He tried to get a hand to his aching cock, but Gibbs got hold of his hands and pinned them above his head. The position made Tony nearly bend in two and it was as if Gibbs went in deeper and harder. Tony trembled with need. He was aware of the fact that he was begging, needing more, but his release just stayed out of reach. “Please!” He yelled again.

“Let go, Tony, just feel it, let go.” Gibbs could see Tony was at the brink of his release, but he was holding onto something that wasn’t there. He had to get his mate to release control totally. He slammed hard into the willing body beneath him, and at the same time reached for Tony’s nipple and twisted it hard. “Cum for me, Love.” It was enough as Tony’s balls tightened and he finally found his release just as Gibbs found his own and shot his load deep within Tony’s body. They continued to ride their waves of ecstasy before Gibbs slumped forward and blanketed Tony’s body with his own. Both of them were breathing hard and shivering as they came down from their mutual bliss. Gibbs turned them and groaned as he slipped free. He could feel the air cooling his slicked cock and he tucked Tony next to him, not quite ready to let go of his mate.

Gibbs could hear from Tony’s breathing that his lover was fading fast and it was a given that his mate would sleep again for a few more hours. Gibbs reached for his wrist and bit down hard into it, letting his own blood fill his mouth before he released it and held it to Tony’s mouth. “You need to feed,” he stroked Tony’s hair as Tony swallowed hard. “Don’t think about it, just take it, your body knows what it needs, even though your mind still objects. Just close your eyes, and feed.” He gently placed the bleeding wrist against Tony’s mouth and smiled as his mate opened up and gingerly lapped at the blood before he let out a groan and latched onto the wrist. “Easy, Tony. It’s all yours.” Gibbs soothed Tony down and looked on as Tony slowed down but continued to drink from him. He moved his body, his own cock hardening again at the sight of his mate drinking from his wrist. Never before had he seen something as erotic as this. He couldn’t help but to rub his cock against the cleft of Tony’s ass and grinned when his mate pressed back against him. It seemed Tony liked the idea of him rutting against him as he fed. He was up for another round, and by the look of Tony’s growing cock, his mate was too. It was going to be a good afternoon.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Council Headquarters: 54 Hours later**

Tony found it strange to walk into the large conference room and see everyone stand up for him and Gibbs. He had to take a deep breath to calm himself as his new senses threatened to get overrun with what he could hear, see and smell. Gibbs had warned him about this, but it still felt almost overwhelming to experience it for himself. Vampires smelled so much better than humans – cleaner for one. It took him a moment or two to be able to tone down the different heart rates so it didn’t sound like he was walking into a room where everyone played on their own set of drums. He followed his mate as they made their way to the head of the large table. He looked on as Gibbs greeted the President with ease and even SecNav got a brief handshake. Tony kept his hand to himself. He was still not confident to touch other people, including vampires. He knew Gibbs had no problem with that, as his mate was extremely possessive of him at this moment in time. Soon they found themselves seated around the table, with Gibbs at the head, him to the left and the President to the right. Tobias sat next to him and Timothy stood at the door. His _bodyguard_ took his duty very seriously; it seems he’d forgot that Tony still knew how to defend himself. The fact that both Fornell and Gibbs found nothing strange in Tim’s behavior made him want to throttle each and every one of them.

Tony looked up as Fornell addressed the group. The vampire seemed to have obtained a lot of information while he and Gibbs had remained in their suite. He found his thoughts drifting and couldn’t help but to blush as the thoughts of what they were doing crept back into his mind. He’d always loved sex, but this was something totally different. It was as if he couldn’t get enough. At least Gibbs didn’t seem to mind, giving him what he needed, and by what they’ve done for the last couple of days, what he himself needed as well. His hand travelled to the deep mark that decorated his neck. It was where Gibbs had marked him, where Gibbs had taken his blood and changed him. Thinking about what happened to him in that darkness made him shiver and he jerked slightly as a hand landed on his thigh. He looked up and found Gibbs’ eyes on him. His mate frowned and Tony smiled. He squeezed Jethro’s hand in an attempt to let his mate know that he was all right. He pushed his thoughts away and concentrated on what Tobias was saying.

“It’s indeed confirmed that Trent Kort is the Director of the Slayers. He’s been at the helm for the past ten years. He is, indeed, ex CIA and he was let go as an operative after it was established that he was no longer mentally stable. But, he’s not the only one at the helm. I’m not sure what to call her, as she works more in the background, but we know her name is Jennifer Shepard. She’s also ex-military and part of the Slayers for almost the same time as Kort. It can be said that he supplies the brawn and she the brains. Both of them are ruthless.” Fornell indicated to the side of the room where a white board stood with different photos. Both Kort and Shepard’s photos appeared. “The man beneath Kort was Jonas Cobb. It is his body the slayers removed after _Tatell_ Gibbs rescued Tony. Cobb, according to the information we received was Kort’s best slayer. To say that Kort is pissed off about his death would be an understatement.” Fornell sighed and walked over to the board. Another 2 pictures filled the board. He pressed his finger on the image of a man. “Ari Haswari,” he looked at Gibbs. “This is the slayer who entered _Tatell_ Gibbs’ home and was taken out by Gibbs himself.” He rolled his shoulders and then pointed to the long dark haired woman’s photo. “Meet Ziva David, Haswari’s half-sister and if anyone thought that Kort might be off his rocker, or that Shepard did not have all her ducks in a row, they need to think again. This woman is plainly put – crazy. We also have reason to believe that she’s the one who killed our Elders.”

His statement was met with a few growls as his words sank in. “She’s the daughter of Mossad’s director Eli David. She herself was Mossad until she was relieved from duty about a year ago. She disappeared from the grid until she was spotted with the Slayers and we started investigating her.”

“How do you know she’s the one?” Tony found himself asking the question. He frowned, it was as if someone turned on the heat in the room, it was starting to feel stuffy.

“Fornell took up a stack of photos and pinned them to the board. “She specialized in torture methods while with Mossad. She was their chief interrogator before she got benched. She studied for years under some of the more notorious torturers of the underworld. It is said that she has a special hand with the blade and is extremely skilled in disemboweling her victims while keeping them alive to extract the information she needed.”

“Do where know where she’s now?” Gibbs’ voice was filled with rage.

“There’s more.” Fornell ignored Gibbs’ question as he continued. “It was established that she’s responsible for the carnage caused by the vampires that killed the homeless people and turned the teenagers.” He met Gibbs gaze. “There’s a group of fledglings that decided on a dare to see for how long they could go without feeding.” He couldn’t help but to lower his eyes as Gibbs’ growl sounded through the room. “We’re still not sure how she managed to find out about this, but she did and she captured three of the fledglings that took part in this stupid fucking dare. By this time, they hadn’t fed for almost two weeks and she led them into a warehouse where she’d placed a bunch of homeless people who she’d cut up just enough for the blood to flow and let our fledglings free.” He found Gibbs’ eyes again. “I know it’s no excuse, _Tatell_ , but with not feeding at all and all that blood, they went into a blood frenzy. She then managed to sedate them and moved them out to where a bunch of street kids slept and she let them wake up there again. This time they didn’t kill, but turned the children into fledglings.” Fornell took a deep breath. “The rest you know.”

Gibbs had to mentally calm himself as he listened to what Tobias told them. He was dimly aware of the other vampires and humans around him, and concentrated on his mate next to him. He could feel Tony’s underlying emotions, his mate struggling to keep calm and he reached out and squeezed Tony’s hand hard. Finally, he found his voice. “How do we know this?”

Fornell looked up at the ceiling before he spoke up again. “We were sent a memory stick. A woman, we believe it to be, David, brags on what has been done and how. It’s accompanied by footage of the fledglings being captured, the initial carnage they caused, how they turned the teenagers and their deaths.”

“Are there still fledglings in the coven who thinks it’s cool to _dare_ one another not to feed regularly?” Gibbs’ asked stone-faced.

“No, we identified the fledglings on the memory stick and rounded up their friends. There were only two others that took part in the craziness. They’ve been dealt with.”

Gibbs nodded his head. He had the right to deal with them himself, but knew that whatever Fornell did with them would enough, Fornell was not one to go easy on anyone, especially not if they fucked up. Gibbs looked at the board with the photos. “Her death will be ours.” He didn’t need to look around to make sure the statement was understood. No human will take this Slayer out. They will find her, and they will kill her.

“What about the _other_ vampires?” It was the President who asked the question.

Tony went still next to Gibbs as the President spoke up. Gibbs turned to his mate, he could feel Tony’s distress. “Breathe, Tony.” He took a deep breath and waited for the vampire next to him to do the same before he released his own breath slowly and nodded his head in encouragement for Tony to do the same. He continued with his deep breathing until it looked like Tony was settling down. He hated that the mere mention of those bastards could send Tony into a flat spin. “You all right?” He asked quietly and squeezed Tony’s hand as his mate nodded. Only then did he turn to Fornell again. “What do we know about them?” He kept Tony’s hand in his.

“With the help of the different alphabet agencies, we’ve managed to get a rough headcount of their numbers. It seems that the European faction has been planning this for far longer than we thought. We’re unsure about their numbers now, but over the last year they’ve come in at a steady rate of approximately five hundred a month. They were scattered all over the country lying low. Just before all this shit happened, we estimate another two thousand of them entered the country. At this time, we would say they’re about six thousand in total. It’s lower than what entered into the country during this time period, but it’s an estimated guess.”

“What happened to the other estimated two thousand?” Tony spoke up after making a quick calculation in his head. The smells around him changed. It was as if the human blood called out to him and he swallowed hard. He hoped that Jethro didn’t notice anything, he didn’t want his mate to worry.

“Dead. The riots across the country, the slayers, with so many people reported dead, they would also have casualties.”

“But, you can’t say for sure?” Tony’s mouth was dry and he licked his lips to moisten them up.

“No, we can’t.” Fornell responded.

“I thought it would be more.” The President spoke up again. He looked relaxed. “Our armed forces will be able to take care of them without much trouble. We can do this easily.” He was confident in his words.

Tony trembled hard and shook his head. “Don’t underestimate them, Sir.”

Something like pity showed in the President’s eyes before he responded. “You were a mere man against them, our men are trained. They will be able to take care of this threat in their sleep. No Vampire will rule us, or enslave us.”

“NO!” Tony sprang to his feet. He wanted nothing more than to get to the man, to sink his teeth into his neck. He squashed the thoughts down and concentrated on what he wanted to say. “I might not be a marine, or a soldier, but I know how to handle myself, and it was not enough. Don’t you understand? They are stronger, they are faster and they have the advantage of stealth, that none of your men will ever have. Your men do not stand a chance against them alone.” He trembled hard. His head ached and he felt funny. He reached for his temple as it started to throb. The human blood around him smelt so strong, it was as if they were all bleeding. His fangs extended and he hissed as he turned to the President. He was ravenous with hunger. His eyes glowed a fiery red.

Gibbs was up and on his feet even before Fornell or Ducky could move. His mate was hurting, and was hurting bad, but he was also hungry. He stepped right in front of Tony as his mate leaped towards the President, cutting him off before his mate could make a meal out of the man. He wanted to kick himself when he realized that they’ve been stuck in here for almost three hours. “Easy, Tony.” He pressed Tony against his own body and held him tight. He could see that SecNav had moved the President away from them and Fornell and Ducky made sure that the other humans in the room got as far away from them as possible. “Let’s get you out of here.” He whispered in his mate’s ear even as Tony fought against him to get to the blood he could smell.

“McGee,” Gibbs growled as he used his strength to pick Tony up from his feet and carried him towards the door. Tony had managed to turn in his hold, he was now carrying him, facing away from him. It was a difficult position, but one he could bare a little longer to get his mate out of there. He could hear the President asking what was going on, but he ignored the question, focusing instead on getting his mate out of there. He nodded his head in thanks as McGee opened the door for them and he managed to carry Tony through the door. Tony still struggled against him to get away and to find what he needed. By the way he held on to his mate, Gibbs knew it would be difficult to feed him. “McGee, you willing to start a blood-bond with your _Tatell-mate_?” He was not supposed to be asking this, Tony was supposed to do that. But, with everything so completely fucked up, he didn’t think anyone had spoken to Tony about this. He knew he hadn’t.

Timothy didn’t hesitate for a second, or even took the time to answer with words, instead he bit into his own wrist and stepped around them, getting to a halt right in front of them. “Take my blood, as I offer it to you, freely, and voluntarily.” He pressed the bleeding wrist against Tony’s mouth and gasped as Tony’s fangs slammed into him with an incredible force. Tony started sucking eagerly at the offered blood.

“Easy, Tony, easy.” Gibbs tried to get Tony to slow down, but it had been too long, and Tony was too far gone to slow down. He knew Tim would have to be strong, Tony was going to take more than he should and he would still be hungry. He could only hope that they’d be able to get Tony back to their own rooms as soon as possible.” He looked over his shoulder as the door opened up behind them. Fornell came and took his place next to McGee. He had a soft expression on his face.

“Time got away from us.” He smiled as Tony made a small sound of satisfaction. Gibbs noted that it seemed like Tony was slowing down. “You all right, McGee?”

“I’m doing all right, _Tatell_. He’s slowed down and is feeding at a much easier pace.” Timothy had managed to move so that it was easier for Tony to get access to his wrists.

“Do you need help in getting him to your rooms?” Fornell spoke up.

Gibbs shook his head. “I’ll be able to carry him the moment he’s more aware of his surroundings. I will feed him in our rooms again. We will continue the conversations later.” Gibbs smiled as Tony sighed again and then leaned back so that the back of his head rested against Gibbs’ chest. His eyes were closed.

“Feeling better?” He nodded his head to McGee in thanks and then turned Tony’s body and lifted him up bridal style. He knew their two protectors would follow him to their room and stay on guard until he’d fed Tony and got some blood himself. They would be both vulnerable for a few hours and Fornell and McGee would make sure they were kept safe.

Tony didn’t respond to his question, but he looked much calmer as Gibbs walked in the direction of their rooms. “We’ll have to keep a closer eye on you, don’t want this to happen again.” He continued to talk softly to his mate until they reached the rooms and Fornell opened it up and let them step inside. Gibbs placed Tony gently on the bed and stripped himself of his shirt. He would be feeding Tony from his chest so that both of them could rest easy. He looked at McGee, who stayed at the door. “You did good, McGee. Thank you.” He turned to Fornell. “Give us a few hours and then I need to have a conversation with the President, it seems that there’s a few things he still doesn’t understand.” Gibbs looked on as Tobias nodded his head and then walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Gibbs focused on his mate again and smiled. Tony was staring at him. His eyes almost back to their normal vibrant green, but some red still lingered around the edges. He smiled again.

Tony looked at his mate and frowned. He had no idea on how he had gotten back in the room, but at that moment, he couldn’t care. He was so hungry. “Gibbs?”

Gibbs got on the bed and guided his mate to his chest. “Let’s get some more blood into you, you will feel so much better.” He sighed in contentment as Tony’s fangs sank into his flesh and he suckled hard. It was good to be able to feed his mate like this.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs looked on as Tony slept. His mate was sprawled out face down on their bed, a thin sheet covering the lower part of his body. Tony had feed deep and Gibbs had been grateful when Tobias brought him some fresh blood. It seemed some of the vampires had managed to go hunting and brought back fresh animal blood. He’d made sure to drink his fair share. Thinking of the blood made him smile. Tony had no problem in feeding from him, and with the blood-bond he started with Timothy, but he had a feeling Tony would not be comfortable drinking the warm or even cooled down blood of the game. He could see Tony scrunching up his nose at the mere idea. Luckily, he had no problem with feeding Tony and he knew Timothy would have no problem either to supply his mate with the necessary blood. He turned when a knock sounded at the door. “Enter,” he ordered as he stood up and covered Tony’s body with the sheet. It was not a good idea to let his possessive side come forward if someone looked on while Tony was only covered hallway with a sheet.

Fornell bowed as he entered and closed the door behind him. “The President and Ducky are situated in the library. His eyes scanned the room, looking for any possible threat, even though he knew there would be none.

“Since when are you so high on ceremony?” Gibbs asked even as he moved towards the door.

For a moment Fornell frowned, but then responded. “Since you became the _Tatell_.”

“You gonna wipe my ass as well?” Gibbs inquired with a smile.

Fornell rolled his eyes. “Hell no, you can do that yourself.”

“Then stop doing all this bowing shit. You know I work for a living.”

“I’m just following protocol.” Fornell defended his actions. “And you _used_ to work for a living, now, now you’re Royalty.”

Gibbs growled. “Don’t you dare start with that shit as well.” He grabbed his jacket and shrugged it on. “Let’s go, the sooner I get this done the better. His good mood of a few seconds ago disappeared with Tobias’ statement.

Fornell sighed. “I know that is not what you wanted to hear, but it’s the truth, Jethro. Even after this is all done, you won’t be able to go out in the field and work. You’ll be up to your head in meetings, making decisions, kissing babies, smiling for the cameras. I know, your worst nightmare, coming true, but the sooner you accept it the better. And not only for you as well, for your mate too. It’s going to be hard on Tony as well, you need to remember that.”

Gibbs looked over his shoulder where he could see Tony asleep and sighed. “Still doesn’t mean you need to start bowing around me. Stop it, it gives me the creeps.” He opened the door and stepped out. Fornell short on his heels. They found McGee outside the door.

“Keep him safe, McGee.” Gibbs ordered as the younger vampire stepped inside the rooms. He would remain there until Gibbs returned.

“Of course, _Tatell_ ,” McGee responded and bowed and as he came up, hissed when a well-placed hand found the back of his head.

“No bowing,” Gibbs grumbled as they moved away. He had to do something about that, it couldn’t go on like that. He cleared his thoughts as they neared the library. It was filled with vampires and humans, both species on guard as they made sure that no one got to the man inside. Gibbs was still surprised that when the shit hit the fan the Secret Service accepted their invitation for the President and his family to be placed under their protection. When they first issued the invitation, he had prepared several arguments with the help of Ducky and the rest of the Council to get the President to come and stay here and in the end there was no need for any of them.

Gibbs opened the door and closed it behind him. Fornell stayed outside and he knew Ducky would excuse himself after a moment or two. The conversation they were going to have was going to be a one on one, and he was going to be dead honest. It was time that the President realized what he was dealing with.

“Aah, Jethro,” Ducky came to his feet as the other vampire entered the large room. Two chairs were placed in front of the large bay window that looked out over the beautiful gardens. One could see the ceremonial arch just peeking out at the back.

Gibbs felt himself relax at the casual greeting from his oldest friend and previous protector. He found himself smiling. “I do hope you’re not boring the President, Duck.”

The President spoke up first. “Nonsense, we were having quite an interesting discussion.” He reached out and grasped Ducky’s hand. “Always such a pleasure talking to you, Doctor Mallard.”

Ducky smiled and slapped Gibbs on the shoulder. “I will look in on your mate when you are done here.” Ducky knew it would not be a good idea to go into Gibbs’ suite without the vampire present himself. It didn’t matter for how long they knew each other. He let himself out of the room after Gibbs nodded his head as an indication that he heard the doctor’s intention. As he closed the door, he could hear the President asking about Anthony’s wellbeing, Gibbs’ response lost as the door closed with a soft click.

Gibbs took the seat across from the President. “My mate is well, thank you, Sir.” The question gave him the perfect opportunity to steer the conversation in the direction he wanted to. “Do you know why my mate was so worked up when you stated that your troops would be able to take the European Vampires out?”

The President looked long at the vampire across from him. “At first I thought it was because he was under the impression that I thought of him as weak for not being able to escape from captivity when they were only two, but there’s something more to it, isn’t there?”

“Let me ask you this first and then I’ll answer your question. You saw how quickly Tony moved when I blocked him from you while SecNav and Doctor Mallard moved you away from us?”

The President nodded his head. He remembered that and found it strange that someone as highly trained as DiNozzo would lose his temper so easily.

“When I told you about fledglings, I included newly turned bondmates in there as well. Their emotions are highly volatile, and they are extremely fast and strong. The only reason why I was able to keep Tony away from you, was because of my age. A younger vampire like Timothy McGee perhaps, wouldn’t have been able to get Tony away from you. Our talks of earlier this day took longer than what I thought they would, and Tony still needs to feed quite a number of times per day. He became enraged by a simple statement you made and he felt that you didn’t appreciate just how serious this whole incident is. Instead of being able to talk it through with you, his anger took over and your blood and every other human’s blood in that room sang out to him, and reason left the room. Where for the first second he wanted to explain to you that your troops will be led to their slaughter, the next second he wanted your blood. I am not telling this to scare you, I’m telling you this to make a point. You’ve seen us here together as a coven. We are mostly laid back, easy to please, but even if I have to say we are very evenly tempered, we are still predators and you as a human, Sir, you are the prey. Do not underestimate us, do not underestimate the European Vampires because you are under the impression that six thousand of them against the bulk of your entire defense force would be enough. It will not be. Your troops will be slaughtered unless we work together; unless you follow our lead and let us bring them down together.”

The President sighed. “It is hard to believe you _Tatell_ Gibbs when on the outside you look just like any other person. Our forces are highly trained, I still do not quite believe what you are telling me. Do not get me wrong, I hear your warning, and I’m not ignoring it out right, I’m just saying maybe you shouldn’t underestimate our troops.”

Gibbs nodded his head in agreement. He understood what the man said. But he also knew he had to get through to the man before the final battle began. “You were in the Marines yourself, Sir. You are trained in combat and are more than capable enough to defend yourself, so let’s put your training and your strength to the test. Something small, I don’t want the Secret Service to shoot me or anything like that, you’re up for it?”

A grin appeared on the President’s face. “Sounds good to me. What do you want to do?”

Gibbs got to his feet and rummaged around in some of the boxes that stood to the side. He grinned when he found what he was looking for. “This will do.” He unpacked the boxes and showed the President what he had.

The President burst out laughing. “That’s the oldest trick in the book.” He took the old telephone books and flipped them through. “What are they, about two-and-a-half-inch thick?”

Gibbs nodded his head and cocked an eyebrow as he took the book back from the man that still laughed at him. “Do they look baked, fanned out or even popped?” He took out another three and handed them to the President as well. “Let’s make this a quick one.” He took the four books and placed them two by two next to each other. He then proceeded to take off his jacket and hung it over the nearest chair and rolled up his shirtsleeves. “The distance from the French doors here to the ceremonial altar is just under a mile. I propose we do a set of hundred sit-ups, pushups and squats, to begin with. Full out run to the altar and back. Another double set of the same exercises and then this lastly. You need to rip both of them up before you can say you’re done. You don’t need to rip both at the same time, but both books need to be ripped apart.”

“Sounds good to me, but you are out in the field most of the time and I will conceive that you’re fitter than me. Let’s add one of my detail to this challenge and then do it.”

Gibbs grinned as he walked over to the box and took out another two books, placing them with the other four. “I’m game.” He couldn’t help but to laugh as the President laughed himself. He stayed put as the man went to the door and called one of his bodyguards to come in. He watched as the President explained the whole scenario to the agent and had to roll his eyes as the man looked him up and down and Gibbs could see it in his eyes that he thought it would be a mere walk in the park.

“Ready?” Gibbs inquired as he got rid of his shoes and socks as well.

“Ready,” both men responded together and stripped out of their jackets, ties, shoes and socks as well.

“Good.” Gibbs walked back to the doors and let the other bodyguard that was standing outside with Fornell in. He didn’t ask for spotters, knowing that none of them would cheat, but he still wanted someone here when they returned to see the outcome. He didn’t need to explain his actions as both the President and the bodyguard picked up on what he wanted to do and had no problems with it. Gibbs sank to the floor and waited for the other two to do the same. Fornell counted down from three and then they started with the first set of exercises.

In the end, Fornell told him he wanted to headslap him for playing with his food, and he couldn’t disagree, because that was what he did. Gibbs was the last to complete the mandatory first round of exercises. Both men already left for the running part, when he straightened up to do his part. He jogged to the turning point and only then did he pick up speed. He passed both runners on their way back. Gibbs completed the double set of required exercise at a speed that the watching bodyguard could still see and count and then took both of his phonebooks and ripped them apart in a single motion. He then got dressed. He wasn’t even sweating. The bodyguard finished in second place and the President last. Both men were breathing hard and sweating even more. The president’s hands trembled and it took him more than a few tries before he was able to tear the first phone book apart. The second one took even longer.

Now the President was seated on his chair again, a towel over his shoulders and a bottle of water in his hands. He looked up and met Gibbs’ gaze. “I understand, and we’ll follow your lead.”

Gibbs nodded in agreement. “That is all that we ask. We will deal with them together.” He took a deep breath. “And then we’ll deal with the Slayers.”

“They are still human and under our laws.” The President spoke up.

Gibbs had to take great care in not baring his teeth at the man before him. “They are our sworn enemy and have killed my people indiscriminately. No law of yours will grant us the justice we seek. We will finish them as we see fit.”

“And you will be guilty of murder.” The President replied in anger.

“In war there cannot be murder, only justice.”

“ _Tatell_ Gibbs,” the President’s voice sounded harsh. “You will not kill a human just out of revenge.”

Gibbs turned. His eyes blazed red. “I will kill each and every slayer that stands before me with a weapon in hand. I will not give them a chance to kill me, I will kill them first.”

Something in Gibbs’ voice must’ve finally gotten to the President as he backed down. “If they tried to kill you, such death will then be justified.” He nodded his head at Fornell and Ducky before he took his leave. The three vampires remained alone in the large library.

“Not a word, Ducky.” Gibbs spoke up first. He had said enough. It was time to check up on his mate. Tomorrow they would start making plans to rid the US of the European Vampires and to make sure that the Slayers met their fate as well.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Tony became aware of his surroundings slowly. He felt refreshed and couldn’t help to stretch out even as he sighed deeply. He turned and blushed. Gibbs was next to him on the bed, grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Hi,” he greeted shyly and melted as Gibbs drew him close and started to kiss him slowly.

“Hi, yourself.” Gibbs responded when he finally released Tony from the searing kiss they shared. “Had a good nap?”

Tony smiled, but it turned into a frown and his eyes grew huge. “I nearly attacked the President.” He lowered his head in his hands. “Shit.”

“You didn’t.” Gibbs pulled his mate to his side.

“That’s just because you stopped me. FUCK!” Tony yelled out in frustration. “Can’t believe it.”

Gibbs tilted Tony’s head so that he could look into his eyes. “What are you hearing right now?”

Tony frowned. “Your heartbeat, mine, our breathing, footsteps in the corridor, someone showering, kids playing, birds singing. Why?”

“And what can you smell?”

“You, me, the sheets we’re lying on, dust in the air.” His eyes grew large again. “Blood.” He swallowed hard. “Your blood, human blood.”

“And a week ago could you do any of that? Could you hear so good, smell so many things?” Gibbs didn’t wait for an answer. “You are a newly turned vampire, a fledgling in the true sense of the word. You will need to feed regularly, your emotions are all off the board, and until you’ve gotten your emotions under control again, until that time when you feel all right in your own skin again, you are my responsibility. Therefore, there is no guilt on you for what you did, or tried to do – that is on me. I’ve explained it to the President and he understands and between myself, Ducky, Fornell and Timothy we will make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”

Tony huffed. “He still thinks his troops will be able to take those vampires down.”

Gibbs shook his head. “He will no longer let the armed forces go in alone. We’ve reached an understanding. We’ll take them down together.”

Something in Jethro’s voice, made Tony look up sharply. “The slayers?”

Gibbs couldn’t help a growl escape. His voice lacked emotion. “Their deaths will be justified.”

Tony didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t need to think about it hard to know what went on in that conversation. Instead he leaned in and kissed his husband hard to get his mind off the looming battle. He grinned as Jethro nipped at his bottom lip and he shivered as a sharp tooth scratched his lip. It stung, but he moaned as Jethro latched onto the bleeding lip and sucked gently on it. The motion went straight to his cock, and he couldn’t help but to rut upwards seeking some friction. With a quick action he turned them so that Jethro was lying beneath him. “So many clothes,” Tony breathed the words against Jethro’s lips as he started undressing the one who made him feel so alive.

Gibbs growled again, this time out of lust as he sat up straight with Tony still astride him and ripped his shirt from his body. He grinned as Tony snorted when the buttons went flying all over the room. His hands stilled as Tony grabbed hold of them and held them tight.

“My turn to play,” Tony’s voice was husky as he pushed Jethro back on the bed and shimmied down his legs. He made quick work of ridding the vampire of the rest of his clothes and then worked his way down the muscular body. He kept on kissing Jethro and couldn’t help but to stop his downward journey to lap and gently nip at Jethro’s nipples. He loved the way they peaked at the attention. “I love you,” Tony stared at Jethro, and smiled again.

Tony used his tongue to trace the line between Jethro’s abs and his naval, before sucking at the belly button, receiving a gasp and a shudder from Jethro.

“Tony,” Gibbs whispered as his hand settled on the back of Tony’s head.

Tony repeated the action, while his fingers trailed back up towards Jethro’s nipples and pinched them hard. It made Jethro thrust upwards and he placed a bracing arm over his husband’s waist to keep him in place.

Finally, he made his way down to Jethro’s erection and started at the base. He followed the prominent vein up with his tongue. He opened his mouth, wrapped his lips around the mushroom tip, and began to suck. Jethro’s cry sounded through the room. Tony went down as far as possible. He was out of practice, but knew he wouldn’t mind one bit practicing over and over again. He bobbed his head up and down and managed to take Jethro a bit deeper each time. He hollowed his cheeks and sucked hard again. Jethro rewarded him with some sexy sounds and he continued with his actions.

Jethro placed his hand on the back of Tony’s head, he didn’t want to thrust up, but he wanted to make Tony take him deeper and faster. He wanted to feel Tony’s throat tighten around his cock as it slid down into Tony’s throat. He wanted to feel Tony swallow around his aching shaft. “Fuck,” he shouted as Tony’s teeth grazed him for a second or two before Tony went back to sucking him hard. His body was on edge and he could feel his release approaching fast. “Tony,” he managed to gasp out the name as his hand tightened in the hair and he pushed his mate down.

The way Jethro moved beneath him made Tony aware that his husband was close. He redoubled his actions and shivered when Jethro tightened the hold on his hair and pushed him down. Tony had no other choice but to relax his throat and take Jethro in deep. As he swallowed, Jethro erupted and his mouth filled with spunk. His mate tasted like he smelled; earthy and fresh. Tony continued to swallow as the shivers continued to travel through his husband. Finally, Jethro came down from his high and released Tony from the hold he had on his head. Tony lapped at the head, played with the slit, coaching every drop of cum from the head before finally sliding back and looking up to find Jethro’s unfocused eyes on him. Jethro blinked at him and then Tony moved up and placed his head on Jethro’s chest. Both vampires sighed in union.

A shiver traveled down Tony’s spine as Jethro ran his fingers down his side and then curled around his straining cock. His hips bucked upward as his mate’s callused hand moved up and down, ever so slowly while his thumb brushed over the sensitive tip on every upwards stroke. “Please,” he didn’t care if he begged, it was so good, but far too slow. He found Jethro looking at him with a glint in his eyes and he groaned. “Fuck,” his hips bucked again and he tried to thrust upwards, but a hand on his hips made him keep still. “Jethro,” Tony gasped when his husband pressed his nail into the slit. That alone was enough to send the streaks of lightning up his spine and his balls drew up as he shot, spunk covering his stomach and Jethro’s hand. He blushed as Jethro sucked his fingers clean while still staring at him. Tony dragged Jethro down for a kiss, only releasing the love of his life when they both needed to breathe.

“Love you so much,” Tony breathed the words softly and took another kiss. Jethro answered him with another and they continued kissing lazily.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**Council Headquarters: 2 weeks later**

“They’ve attacked again.” Tobias’ voice sounded through the silent room. All heads turned in his direction at the statement.

“Where?” Gibbs asked as he and Tony got to their feet. Both the European vampires and the Slayers have intensified their _battles_ between each other. Unfortunately, mere humans were caught between them and paid the ultimate price.

“Two hours from here a small community spotted some strangers in the area and alerted their _local slayers_ instead of the Sheriff. Which for us, means a few old men armed with pitchforks. The strangers indeed were vampires and they ripped out the throats of the men who attacked them. In the meantime, a patrol of real slayers showed up, saw what was happening and came to the rescue. Things escalated from there. In the end neighbor turned on neighbor and the whole town burned down. To make matters worse, not all of the vampires were caught; instead, they attacked those standing outside their homes, and killed more people. The slayers then decided to open fire with automatic firearms, they didn’t care who lived or who died and mowed anything that moved down. That included a six-month-old baby whose mother fled their burning home. The National Guard is on its way in.” Tobias sat down heavily. It had been a rough two weeks and even rougher nights.

Before the President could speak up, Tony did. “We need to stop them.” His eyes had speckles of red, not from hunger, but from rage.

“Easy,” Gibbs took hold of his mate’s hand and pulled him to his chest. “Take some deep breaths and calm down.” He could feel how hard Tony trembled against him. “We’ll get them, I promise.” He shook his head at Tobias and McGee. Both vampires had moved closer in case it was necessary. Gibbs held Tony against him until his mate finally calmed down and he tilted his head and smiled. Tony’s eyes were no longer red, but green with the blue flecks of his own eyes. “Feeling better?”

Tony sighed and nodded. “Sorry.” He hissed at the slap he received at the back of his head. For some reason he knew it could’ve been much harder, but it still caught him by surprise. “What was that for?” He asked even as he turned to glare at McGee, who sniggered.

“Never apologize, not when it’s not your fault.” Gibbs explained with a grin. The original rule was nowhere near that one. He could see how McGee gaped at the words, but he ignored him. He changed the rule. Tony didn’t need to think he was weak if he apologized for something, his mate had suffered enough in life, he was not adding more suffering to it.

Tony frowned, but nodded his head. “We still need to end this.” He’d turned and addressed the room. “It’s gone too far. They need to be stopped.”

“And they will be stopped.” Ducky rose to his feet. He turned and addressed the room. “We’ve finally managed to get all our _agents_ together from all over the country as well as our international operators. The _Tatell’s_

Elite Sentry Unit is ready to be deployed.”

SecNav spoke up as he saw a frown appear on the President’s face. “The Agency was formed many years ago for two reasons. One, it investigates crimes where we thought our kind was involved in, but primarily,” he cleared his throat and looked over at Gibbs. “Primarily, it was established as a private force to protect the new _Tatell_.”

The President bristled with anger. “A private military force on US soil?” He looked around the room. “That’s an act of treason.”

“And yet, in all the time of our existence, we’ve never moved against the Capital. We fought in each war and battle the US forces were involved. We were here from the beginning. We died for this country. Now, our new _Tatell_ is known to us, and our focus has shifted. He and his mate are now our first priority.” The SecNav got to his feet.

“Are you saying you’re leaving?” The President came to his own feet.

Tony snorted and everybody turned towards him. He cocked his head. “Mr. President, I am the first to admit that I don’t know my mate as well as some of the others here in this room, but, I know one thing, and with all due respect, Sir, you do too. Leroy Jethro Gibbs will never, in his whole life, flee from a place where help is needed. He won’t leave and neither would any other vampire in his coven or clan. They will fight because they care, because they have honor.” He looked around in the room. The tension was still thick in the air. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. “Let’s get back to what we’re going to do with these vampires, and the slayers.” He sat back down again and noted that it seemed like the tension dispersed from the room. Everyone seemed more relaxed. He failed to see the look that Ducky gave him.

The President looked down; he sagged visibly, as if a great burden was lifted from his shoulders. “I was out of order.”

Gibbs nodded his head. He knew that statement would be the only form of an _apology_ they would get. “Do we know if they’re still in the region?” The killing vampires had the tendency to attack and then move on, never staying in one place for more than a couple of hours.

“They’ve moved on.” Tobias moved to a large map pinned to a board. He indicated with a cross where the latest attack took place. “They’re making their way back to DC.” He continued to look at the board. The first attacks were in the Capital itself, then it moved out again and now all of the attacks seems to be getting closer to Washington itself. They couldn’t be allowed to come back. Over six-hundred-and-fifty-thousand people would be at risk.

“They are all coming together.” Tony indicated to the various markers on the board that indicated where the different vampire groups attacked. He turned to face his mate. “They’re also gearing up for a showdown.”

“And we shall give them one.” Gibbs joined Tobias at the board and stared at it for a long time, blocking out everything and everyone around him. He was only aware of Tony’s heartbeat, in sync with his own and the board before him. They couldn’t let the vampires reach the city limits. Too many people had lost their lives already; he would not be responsible for more bloodshed. “We need to take the fight to them,” he finally spoke up again.

“What do you propose?” Ducky questioned.

Gibbs pointed to an area marked Green Ridge State forest. “State Forrest?” He didn’t turn back, but kept staring at the board.

“Yes. Nearest town as far as I can recall is Flintstone, about seventy-one miles away. Approximately two and a half hours from here, or if you drive, about an hour.” Tobias supplied the information.

“You want to spring a _Breaking Dawn_ battle on them?” Tony spoke up. He had a grin on his face, but his eyes remained serious.

Only a few individuals snickered at the remark, including McGee. He swallowed his laughter when he saw the look on Gibbs’ face. “You know those books and later the movies that came out about the vampires and the werewolves?” He didn’t wait for a reply but continued. “In the end, to get their _freedom_ the Cullen family and the rest of their friends, together with the werewolves readied themselves to battle the Volturi. The Volturi were the council of the vampires and they wanted total control.” The sigh that escaped Gibbs made McGee stop. “In any case, according to the movie, the battle took place in a large open area, away from everything and that’s what Tony was referring to.”

Gibbs only grunted in reply. “Can we herd them towards this area?”

Fornell stared at the map. “What about the people? How many are there? How fast can we get them out?”

“The National Guard can get whole towns out in a couple of hours. They train for large operations and are geared up for something like this.” The President supplied the answer. 

“McGee, get us more information on the forest.” Gibbs pinpointed the area on the map and read the coordinates out too. He looked at his watch. “We need to put up roadblocks.”

Tony frowned. “You want to give them only one route to take.” He could see how his mate’s mind worked. He swallowed. “What if they decide to avoid the roadblocks and cause more bloodshed?”

A feral grin appeared on Gibbs’ face. Before he could speak up, Tony groaned. “You all right?” He asked, concerned and stepped towards his mate.

Tony shook his head. “I’m fine, but you’re crazy.” Tony realized that the rest of the room frowned at him. “He’s got one or other hairy brained plan that involves him. He wants to play bait.” Tony rose to his feet. “And if _my_ mate for one moment thinks that I’m going to allow him to do such a thing, he is mistaken.” His voice was soft, but you could see the anger in his eyes.

Everyone started to speak all at once. The tension in the room nearly became tangible and Gibbs raised his hand and the room fell silent, but the tension remained. “Let’s take a break.” It might have sounded like a suggestion, but it was clearly an order as everyone started to file out.

“NO!” Tony’s voice sounded through the room and the tension spiked even more. “You are not going to clear the room and then try to convince me otherwise. “They want you dead and now you want to give them the perfect opportunity to do so. NO.” He kept his gaze locked on Gibbs.

Some of the vampires growled and their faces morphed into their true identities. The humans’ fear spiked. Ducky spoke up. “Anthony, _Tatell-mate_ , please, you need to calm down. Let Jethro discuss this with you. Give him a chance to explain.”

A glass exploded on the table and even Tony jumped back. He broke eye contact with Gibbs and it was all Gibbs needed as he closed the distance between them. He grabbed Tony by the shoulders and dragged him against his chest. Immediately the tension deflated and even the humans sighed hard. Tony sagged hard against Gibbs’ chest.

“And I think now would be a good time to explain his abilities to him, since, I am quite sure you did not do that yet.” Ducky scowled at Gibbs before he sighed and also moved towards the door. He didn’t look over his shoulder as he closed the door and left Tony and Gibbs alone inside.

For Tony it felt as if he just ran an ultra-marathon. His whole body shivered, his muscles felt like jelly and even his breathing was uneven. He could feel his mate’s arms around him, could feel his steady heartbeat in his ear, and wanted nothing more than to melt against the chest he was leaning on and just forget about the world around him.

“You okay?” Gibbs asked as he lifted Tony’s head with his finger to look into his mate’s eyes. He gave a crooked smile. He knew he had to deal with what just happened, but first he had to make sure his mate was all right.

Tony nodded, “What happened?” He had a feeling that it had something to do with him that changed. He had no idea if he would like it, but hoped that Jethro would tell him what happened.

Gibbs wanted to sigh, but knew it wouldn’t change a thing. Instead, he hugged Tony tighter against his chest. He closed his eyes for a second. “Some police departments use psychics to help them solve cases. As you’re well aware in most instances they are nothing but fraudsters and in the end so much money gets spent on their hunches, but with no results. But, there are those who are gifted. They are very few and their numbers are dwindling each year. It is as if that talent is dying out. Even amongst our kind there is only a handful psychics left. It is one of our believes, that each and every vampire and human has a talent, but due to the age in which we live in, the fact that there are so many distractions, drugs being used and other circumstances most humans have lost the ability to use their talent. And then there are humans like yourself.” Gibbs pulled Tony back into his embrace as his mate tried to pull away. “Let me explain.” He placed a kiss on the crown of Tony’s head. “There are different talents, and I’m not going to go into a discussion with you over them, except to say, you’ve seen mine in action, and I’ve seen yours in action.” He lifted Tony’s chin again to look Tony in the eyes. “Very few humans and vampires alike can bullshit me. I can tell when they are talking nonsense or even if they’re lying. We refer to it as my ‘gut feeling’. You, on the other hand have the ability to make people open up to you, to tell you what you want to hear, but even more important you have the ability to control emotions. You’re an empath, and you were already strong as a human, and now that you’re a vampire, that talent of yours exploded. Just now, you managed to bring the tension levels in this room right down, just by centering yourself, you’ve also managed to make all the humans, and even some of the younger vampires quiver with fear because you amped up all the emotions in the room. That’s also the reason why that glass shattered so spectacularly.”

Tony remained stiff against Gibbs’ chest. It was difficult for him to hear what his mate was saying. It was getting too much. First he found out he was the bondmate to the new _Tatell_ , but more than that, his mate was not human, he was a vampire. _He_ , himself was now a vampire too. His best friend and a younger detective he thought of as a younger brother were both older than him, and also vampires. They were locked into two massive battles, one against the bad vampires and the second against a bunch of humans who believed that anything that wasn’t entirely human had no right to live and had to be killed on sight and now this – he had this ability and he now he felt like a freak. At that moment Tony wasn’t even sure if he should stay where he was or if he should run for the hills.

Gibbs frowned. Tony was being too quiet for far too long. “Tony?” He asked and pushed Tony backward to see his mate’s face.

Tony shook his head. “It’s too much, I’m sorry, it’s just too much.” He finally managed to get to his feet and shook his head again as Gibbs reached out to him. “No, I need some time, please.” He couldn’t explain it any better. He knew he should make an attempt to tell his mate that he wasn’t angry with him, that he would never leave him, but he couldn’t find the words. Instead, his shoulders slumped as he made his way to the door.

“Tony?” Gibbs spoke up behind him. He sounded insecure, even frightened.

Tony leaned with his head against the door, his hand resting on the doorknob. “I won’t flee, Jethro, but I need time, please. It feels to me like this is the last straw that might break the camel’s back. Please, just leave me alone.” He turned the knob and stepped out. He ignored Ducky’s questions, and Fornell’s frown. He was aware of McGee walking two steps behind him, but he couldn’t care. At the suite he shared with his mate, he entered quickly and shut the door before McGee could enter. He twisted the lock and then sank down, until he landed with his backside to the door, seated flat on the floor. Only then did he place his hands over his eyes and wept.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs had no choice but to let Tony leave. They still had a battle to fight. He rested his head in his hands for a few seconds after Tony left before getting to his feet and opened the boardroom door to let everyone back in again. He ignored every question and remained quiet until they were all gathered in the room again. Ducky frowned and Gibbs shook his head. He took his seat. “McGee, what did you find?” He addressed the younger vampire as Timothy stepped back into the room. He knew it was not an unreasonable question; the young vampire was not called a computer wizard for nothing. He would have the information they were looking for.

McGee nodded his head. “As Tobias already noted the nearest town to Green Ridge State Forest is indeed Flintstone. There are a few others as well. The National Guard would be able to evacuate all the towns in the area in a time period of just under three hours.” He turned to the map behind them. The State Forest is about forty-six thousand acres and the main road leading to it, is the I-68. It is possible to block them in.”

“Good,” Gibbs turned towards the President. “We’ll need four Navy Seal platoons.” He didn’t explain that the sixty-four men would be enough. He knew how they trained, and he had confidence that they, with the rest of the Vampires he was sending, would be enough. “Our Elite unit will make up the rest of the attack.” He stood and walked to the front. Gibbs cleared his throat and then explained his plan. It was simple, but would be effective. Within a few hours they had a complete battle plan. Gibbs would meet with the Navy Seal senior officers to discuss the finer points, but for now, they were all set. “We’ll be there the day after tomorrow at dawn.”

“How are you going to get them there?” SecNav inquired.

Gibbs sighed. “I’m going to do what my mate is against. I am going to play bait.” He looked at Ducky and Fornell. “We need to do a television interview. We need to spin them one or other story.” They’ve all noticed that the attacks from the vampires were more vicious if there were any reports made of Slayer activity in an area, or if their own attacks were not reported on.

“They will know it is a trap.” Ducky didn’t like the idea one bit.

“And they’ll be still arrogant enough to walk into it, and it’s on that arrogance that I’m counting on.” Gibbs replied. He answered another couple of questions and then adjourned. They never spoke one word of the Slayers. The Slayers were their _own_ problem, the less the humans were involved the better. Gibbs took a seat again as the room emptied, he didn’t find it strange that Tobias, Ducky and McGee stayed behind.

“We’ll be fine.” Gibbs answered the unspoken question.

“I do not think that any of us doubted that, Jethro, but you and your mate are in a difficult position at the moment and we would do like to help in any possible way that we can.” Ducky spoke up.

Gibbs shook his head. “I know that, Ducky, but at this stage there is nothing you or anyone else can do.” He was frustrated. “I was supposed to court Tony, to let him see how we live, to teach him about our ways so that he could become used to us, but, even more importantly, that he could become part of us. Instead, he gets involved in a battle that had nothing to do with him. He gets kidnapped and raped. After that, he doesn’t even have the necessary time to work through that before he’s mated to me, turned into one of us with little understanding on what that entails. Once again, he doesn’t have the opportunity to adjust, to be told that as a vampire you also have certain _powers_. Instead, he gets so worked up that he nearly sends everyone into a flat spin, managed to shatter a glass. He’s mated to a bastard of a mate that knows he’s putting his own life in danger, but despite this, still plans on using himself as bait. And there is nothing Tony can do about that.”

Ducky bowed his head. “You are right, and even though it is too late now, I do suggest that after all of this is over you and Anthony take a break and reconnect with one another. It will do both of you good. In the meantime, please, _Tatell_ , do not hesitate to ask us for assistance. I speak for myself, but I know that Tobias and Timothy feel the same, we will help you and the _Tatell-mate_ with anything.”

“Thank you, Duck.” Gibbs stood up. “I need to talk to my mate.” He didn’t add that he had no idea if he would have any success. He nodded to the three men and then exited the room. He ignored the fact that both Tobias and Timothy had stepped out behind him and were following him. Gibbs knew they would make sure that they were not disturbed.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Tony sighed as he realized he kept track of his mate’s heart rate the whole time they were apart. It was now stronger and he could hear him coming closer. At first he wanted to just pull the comforter over his head and ignore his mate, but he knew that was not an option. Instead, he came to his feet and made his way over to the small sitting room that formed part of their rooms. He lowered himself on the sofa and waited for Jethro to open the door. He had no idea on what to say.

Gibbs opened the door and stepped inside. He was surprised to find Tony waiting for him on the sofa. He cringed at the sight of Tony’s puffy eyes. It was clear that the whole incident shook Tony harder than what he ever could imagine. Without a word he made his way over to where his mate sat and took the seat next to him. He reached out and felt content as Tony melted against him.

Before Tony could speak up, Gibbs beat him to the punch. “I think McGee might have mentioned a few of my rules to you.” He smiled when he saw Tony roll his eyes. “I’m also repeating rule 6 – never apologize, it’s a sign of weakness.” He took a deep breath. “I’m breaking my own rule and I’m apologizing to you. You’ve been thrown into the deep side and made to swim, no one to rescue you, or even a life buoy in sight. And the most astonishing thing – you’re doing brilliantly. Each and every curve ball that comes your way is dealt with, never hesitating for a moment, just doing what is expected from you and then even more.” 

Tony couldn’t help but to lean into his mate. He needed the contact. For a long time he remained quiet. “McGee also mentioned that you’re a functional mute.” He pushed himself away from the vampire next to him. “You know about my childhood, and you know about my dreams.” Unfortunately, he had more than one bad dream since they’d bonded, but his mate never pushed and asked questions. He would just hold Tony close and soothe him until his mate settled back into a state of sleep once again. “The only thing I wanted was to be normal. To be liked.” Tony snorted. “But with my sleeping habits that went out of the window. Hell, I was the only boy in the Academy and later in college to have my own room. I was never able to share with someone as they couldn’t tolerate my nightly screaming episodes. I even got evicted from an apartment or two before I finally saved up enough and had my apartment soundproofed. Finally, I could scream and no one would be any wiser. I had my normal. And now this.” He sounded despondent.

“I’m glad you’re not normal.” Gibbs responded and continued talking. “Because if you were normal, you wouldn’t have been my mate. We wouldn’t have been able to become bondmates and I wouldn’t have the pleasure of calling you mine for so many years to come.” Gibbs pulled Tony onto his lap, he loved the way Tony fitted so perfectly on top of him. “And you are normal.” He smiled. “As normal as any newly turned fledgling could be, that is. We’ll get through this, mate of mine. I promise.”

“You still planning on being bait.” Tony couldn’t help but to sound accusatory.

“I am, but I’m not going in alone. We need to deal with this threat and it cannot be done in the city. Drawing them out is the best thing to do.”

“They’ll know it’s a trap.” Tony knew he was repeating himself.

“And they are still arrogant enough to come. They will come and we will end them.” Gibbs stated with conviction. It was time to take back what belonged to him and his mate. It was time to bring back the brood under one control. It was the only thing to do if they wanted to live, if they wanted their human friends to live.

Tony stared at his bondmate for a long time. “Someone has to have your six, and since I rather love that ass of yours, I should be the one covering it.” He got to his feet and pulled Gibbs to his. “Let’s go and battle some crazy shit.” He yanked Gibbs towards him. “Hear me, mate, if you try something stupid, or get yourself killed I will revive you and I will kill you myself.” Tony leaned in and took his mate’s mouth in a searing kiss that lasted for a very long time.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_‘Going into battle is not a mere act of strapping on a sword, loading a musket and getting on a horse. No, going into battle takes careful planning, skillful maneuvering and patience, because the art of war cannot be rushed.’_

**September 27, 2015 – 07:30**

_‘It is written in stone that the rivers will run red with the blood of the innocent, making man run with fear. And from the North two lines will appear; the first – seventh time worthy and hailed by the King. The other pure; untainted and unfamiliar with what danger lurks, but still worthy to rule and the two will meet side by side and when the moon is at its bloodiest they will fight for light. Without their union there will be no light. Without light there will be no peace and darkness will descend over the land and evil will prevail…’_

The first rays of sunlight peaked over the mountain when Gibbs and the rest of the Elite guard, together with the Navy Seals took their stand. All through the night, they had received reports that the European vampires were indeed coming their way. The National Guard managed to clear all the surrounding communities, and they’d yet to receive any news of killings done by the approaching force. That already was a victory.

Gibbs pulled Tony to his chest. His mate had a lazy smile on his face. They had made love for hours the previous night and Gibbs made sure Tony fed deep from him. This morning he took Tony hard and had a feeling that most of the vampires residing on the Council Grounds heard them. Tony was still sated from the previous feeding, but Gibbs made him feed again. He knew what it was to be a fledgling and with all the blood due to be spilled that day it would be of utmost importance for Tony to be well fed. He’d also made sure that McGee knew to stay close to Tony if his mate needed to feed again. He would not let his mate go into any state of blood fury if it could be helped. “You need to stay alive.” He whispered the words against Tony’s skin as he breathed his mate’s scent.

Tony mumbled against his chest but didn’t even lift his head to reply. He could feel the adrenaline building up inside of him. It was as if they were preparing for a raid, the same tension filled the air, but there was also more trepidation as they knew it was more than just a raid. They were fighting for their lives. They were fighting for the lives of humans and if they didn’t stop this oncoming force, the chances of anyone else stopping them were extremely slim. “I’ll be on your six, _Boss_ ,” Tony grinned as he teased his mate. In the last few weeks Gibbs had told more than one human not to call him sir as he worked for a living. It left a few of them quite flustered, but most of them called Gibbs by his last name, or referred to him as _Tatell_. A few even started following Timothy’s example and called him ‘boss.’ Tony wasn’t sure who was more riled up about it. His mate or Timothy. He smiled again.

Gibbs huffed in annoyance, but just kept Tony close. He couldn’t help but to wish for this day to be over. He didn’t know what it would bring, but knew it would be bad. He didn’t want to think about the possibility that he might lose his life and never see his mate again. Gibbs mentally slapped himself on the back of the head. He couldn’t allow himself to think like that. He kept Tony in his embrace even as Timothy came towards them. By the look on the young vampire’s face, he knew that the European force had arrived. It was time to battle.

**o0o – EXBB2015 – o0o**

Gunter and Olaf walked side by side, the two vampires full of confidence. Their numbers even more than when they started out as they followed the slayers idea and turned a number of teenagers. It was a bit of a drag to control them, but after promising them ‘an all you can eat buffet’, they’ve stepped into line and made the track to the so called meeting place without too much mayhem. They didn’t believe a word spewed by the so called _Tatell_ , they’ve communicated with their Sires and were told to proceed with the attack and to kill each and every human and vampire who resisted them. It was one order they didn’t have an objection to comply with.

Olaf grumbled as he had to kill one of the new fledglings to feed. They didn’t think of the fact that the soft hearted vampires would clean all the towns between them and the State Forrest. Unless, they wanted to hunt animals and drink from them, they had to make do with what they had. It was easier to take from the fledglings and to kill them afterwards, it was the same as fast food on the go, just different.

“I get to play first,” Gunter spoke up as he walked on. They’d dumped the vehicles at the entrance to walk further. They needed to get a lay of the land and to spring any traps set out for them to dwindle down their numbers before the real battle started.

“We can play tag,” Olaf grinned. He concentrated on his hearing and laughed. “We’re close by, I can hear so many heartbeats. They’re all thumping hard in fear.” He rubbed his hands together. He was looking forward to the killing. To feel the blood slide down his throat and fill his stomach. He couldn’t wait to grab a few of those so called Elite agents and have his way with them. It would feel good to rip them apart in any way he could.

“We’re here,” Gunter spoke up. Before him in a clearing they found the _Tatell_ and his following waiting for them. He took a sniff in the air. “They brought some snacks,” he commented as he smelled the humans among them. He took his place next to Olaf. “Do you think he’s going to make some one or other speech?”

Olaf snorted and rolled his eyes. “They’re all about forgiveness and embracing those different from us. Of course he’s going to make a fucking speech. But we’re not going to listen.” He lifted his hand and with a wave forward he started to run.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs looked on as the group of vampires strolled towards them. He could smell death on them it was as if they bathed in it. He couldn’t help but to cough. A few of the younger vampires had gone green and Tony even took a step back. He placed a comforting hand on the small of his mate’s back. “Easy, just get used to the smell.” He was grateful that the humans among them couldn’t smell what they did.

Tony shuddered, but managed to stand his ground. His heightened eyesight found the figures of Gunter and Olaf with ease and he heard himself snarl. He wanted them dead.

“We’ll get them,” Gibbs spoke up as if he read his mate’s mind. He took some deep breaths as they were now used to the stench and smiled when Tony followed suit. His mate was wound up too tight, he could see it in the vampires around them, they were ready to snap and he knew if he could get Tony to tone it down a bit, they would become calm as well. It worked as Tony relaxed and the vampires around them relaxed as well.

Tony looked on as the group of vampires came to a halt. He cocked his head. It was as if they were waiting for something and then he snorted. “They think you’re going to forgive them for what they’ve done if they repent.”

Gibbs shook his head. “Not after all of the innocent lives they took. All those people they murdered for the fun of it. The family they killed to get to you. No, the time for talks is long gone.” He looked on as he saw Olaf raise his hand. “I don’t think they wanted to listen to a speech anyway.” He turned his head. “Get ready,” he issued the order and turned back. None of the vampires with him moved an inch. They were all waiting for his signal.

Tony frowned. “Are you sure it’s going to work?” He looked on as they closed the distance between them very quickly.

Gibbs nodded. “Their arrogance will lead to their downfall. They do not expect us to fight with _human technology_ , not when they feel that we’re better equipped.” He referred to their super speed, agility and strength.

Tony looked on as the distance became smaller, but their line still held. He watched his mate’s face and couldn’t believe how calm he looked. He turned and face forward as Gibbs spoke up again. “Fire!”

The earth in front of them erupted just as the first of attacking vampires reached an invisible line. The rigged explosions sent many of the attacking line flying backwards, but it didn’t stop them. In fact, it looked like they gained momentum after the explosion. Tony couldn’t believe how calm their own vampires seemed. They still held their line steady. A second explosion happened, this time it was just smoke grenades and that was when their line broke and the fight started.

Tony kept to Gibbs’ back, covering his mate as they fought their way through snarling vampires. Gibbs was elegant in his fighting style. He took each opponent as he or she came. He didn’t draw out any fight, but made the kill clean and quick. Most of the vampires they fought had nothing on Gibbs.

Tony had to fight his own share of vampires that attacked him. It felt strange to fight with his hands, feet and his elongated fangs, but he kept at it and soon forget the pistol tucked into a side holster as he took care of his attackers one by one. Tony looked up as his latest attacker fell dead to the ground and found his mate fighting two vampires at the same time. What Gibbs didn’t notice was the one behind him. Tony couldn’t scream, it would’ve made his mate lose his concentration on what he was doing and would get him killed either way. He bodily shoved the vampire who charged at him out of the way and sprinted toward his mate. It was as if time slowed down and the distance didn’t want to reduce for him to get near enough to tackle the third vampire. But then things sped up again and as the vampire readied himself to attack Gibbs from the back, Tony leaped onto him and send them both tumbling to the side. They fought hard. The vampire Tony faced was one who believed in more than just his hands and feet and had a large machete in his hand. Tony had to dodge a few times as the attacker loved wielding the blade around. Tony moved from side to side. At his back he could hear Gibbs still fighting with his two attackers and he hissed in pain as the vampire went low where he thought he would go high and ended up with a long cut down the side of his ribs. “Fuck,” he snarled as the blood spilled from the cut. He couldn’t help to taunt the vampire with a lazy grin. “Now my mate is going to kill me because I dirtied my shirt.” His words made the attacker stumble back and Tony leaped forward. He didn’t hesitate as he picked the vampire up that was much shorter than him and slammed him head first into the ground, snapping his neck. He tossed the body to the side just as Gibbs spoke up next to him.

“What the hell did you do that for?”

“It’s called saving your ass, just as I told you I would.” Tony gave a cheeky grin. “You were busy and I had some time on my hands.”

Gibbs wanted to comment on the flippant remarks made by his mate when he noticed two figures coming their way. Tony turned and noticed them as well. “Gunter is mine.” He didn’t wait for Gibbs to reply, but sped towards the two approaching vampires. Gibbs had no choice but to follow. His heart skipped a beat when Gunter peeled off and Tony followed him. He called out Tony’s name, but then he and Olaf slammed into one another at high speed.

Gibbs couldn’t help but to wish he’d managed to kill Olaf the first time they fought. It seemed like they’ve managed to extract the bullets in time because the vampire fought at full strength. They fought hard, not one of them holding back as they landed attack after attack. They traded blows, Olaf landed an uppercut to Gibbs’ jaw that send him sprawling backwards. Gibbs stumbled back to his feet and leaped forward. He caught Olaf in the middle of the chest, and heard the breast bone crack beneath his hands, but it didn’t stop the vampire from fighting on.

Olaf jerked back in shock, but recovered quickly and followed up with another upward blow. Gibbs had to duck and he rolled clear before getting to his feet again. He charged forward, but Olaf sidestepped him and lunged at him even with his back still turned. The hits rained down on him, one caught him on the mouth, the other glanced off his ribcage, but he dodged the one meant for his middle.

Gibbs stayed out of reach; it seemed like Olaf didn’t want to come too close as he feared what Gibbs would do should he get into touching range. Gibbs closed the gap between them and lashed out. He aimed for Olaf’s chest again. The vampire was still fast enough to turn and Gibbs managed to hit him in the ribs, but it still hurt as Olaf stumbled backwards. Gibbs didn’t back down, but stayed on top of Olaf. The vampire was tiring, the blow that broke his breastbone would not heal quickly and if Gibbs could catch him again, he could end his life.

Olaf backtracked and Gibbs took his chance. He used his agility and kicked out. His aim was true and both feet connected with Olaf’s chest once again. Olaf flew backwards and landed hard on the ground. Gibbs moved forward as Olaf didn’t get up. He looked down at the fallen vampire. He was ash gray and his breaths shallow. He landed on his ribs and it was clear he broke a few. That together with the broken chest bone meant months of healing for a vampire. Gibbs straddled Olaf with his feet. The vampire was in too much pain to even crawl away. “You lose.” He leaned in and punched Olaf in the chest again. Even as the vampire took his last gasping breath, Gibbs walked away. Olaf bled out from the bone splinters that penetrated his heart even before Gibbs moved on to his next target. He also needed to find his mate.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Tony heard Gibbs call out to him, but he didn’t even look back. Gunter was in front of him and he could hear the bastard laughing at him. It urged Tony on and he moved faster. He managed to tackle Gunter as the vampire looked over and stumbled for a second.

Tony was quick on his feet and as Gunter got up, he roundhouse kicked him back to the ground again. He had to move quickly as Gunter tried to sweep his feet from under him and landed another kick, connecting with Gunter’s thigh. The vampire laughed again, taunting him.

“Such a weak fledgling.” Gunter wasn’t even breathing hard. “I’m going to take you down and fuck you over and over. You’ll beg me for death, but I’ll keep you on a leash and parade you around. You’ll be grateful for that, as I would show you mercy.”

Tony tried to block the words out, he knew they were said to get him to act stupidly, but they still stung. He focused his energy in letting his blows land perfectly as he moved forward. Instead of jabbing his fist, he kicked out with his right leg and landed a perfect hit to Gunter’s face as the vampire stumbled sideways. Gunter spit out a few loose teeth and charged.

Tony waited until the last possible second before he moved to the side and as the vampire got passed him, he landed a solid blow on Gunter’s lower back, hitting him in the kidneys. He grinned as Gunter roared in pain. He followed it up and managed to sweep Gunter’s legs from under him, the vampire staggered and landed on his hands and knees. “Is that all you’ve got?” Tony couldn’t help but to get his own mocking words in.

It made Gunter react and as the vampire got to his feet, he hunkered over and barreled towards Tony. Tony welcomed the move and readied himself for the body slam. He widened his stance and as Gunter slammed into him, he got his arms around the stooped figure and brought up his knee. It connected perfectly and he broke Gunter’s jaw and nose before letting go and looking on as the vampire stumbled away.

Tony cocked his head. “What? The cat got your tongue?” He knew he was pushing it, but it felt good. He blocked Gunter’s next attack and as the vampire moved away it left his right side open and Tony feinted an attack to the left and landed a hard jab to the unprotected side of Gunter’s body and proceeded to sweep his legs out from underneath him again. Tony breathed heavily. The injury to his side was sluggishly bleeding at the blows he traded with the various other vampires made him drip blood from different part of his body.

Tony looked on as Gunter got to his feet. He knew he was doing the wrong thing by letting Gunter get up again, but he wanted this fight. He wanted to rid himself of the anger, pain and humiliation caused by this vampire after his kidnapping and rape. He wanted to prove to himself that he could take care of himself, that he wasn’t weak, that he was strong enough for Gibbs, but also strong enough for himself.

Tony used his hands in a ‘come on’ action and as Gunter made ready to attack, Tony attacked first. This time he used no tricks, but plain boxing and sparring skills as he pummeled Gunter’s body and face with his fists. His knuckles split open, but Tony didn’t feel it. He continued to land hit after hit on Gunter. The vampire couldn’t block them all and had to move backwards as Tony’s hits continued to rain down on him. Finally Gunter stumbled again and fell to the ground.

Tony stood over the fallen vampire and breathed hard. His body was trembling and he ached all over. He reached for the large blade he still hadn’t used and pulled it free from its sheath. “Never again will you walk this earth.” He raised the blade and as Gunter raised his hands instinctively to cover his head, Tony brought the blade down and pierced Gunter’s heart. A look of total surprised appeared on Gunter’s face as his arms fell to his sides and then he died.

Tony remained standing over the body. The sounds of the battle that continued around him faded into nothingness. For him, this part was over.

**o0o – EXBB2015 – o0o**

Gibbs finally found his mate as Tony stood over Gunter’s body. His hands dripped with blood and Gibbs knew he had to get his mate cleaned up. Tony was used to the blood, but even he as a vampire had seen more than enough for one night.

He lifted Tony’s chin with his finger and looked into his mate’s eyes. Tony’s eyes were filled with a sadness that he understood. “It’s over. They can no longer hurt anyone else.” Unknowingly, he repeated Tony’s own thoughts. Gibbs had to keep his hands to himself as even over all of the other smells he could smell his mate’s blood. Gibbs didn’t need to lift Tony’s shirt to know the wound across his ribs was still bleeding. He needed to get it checked out and then head home.

Tony stood numb, but managed to lean into his mate’s touch as he heard the words. It was a long day, but they did it. The European vampires were either dead or in custody. It was a bloody battle. “And yet, we’re not done. We still have another battle to fight.” He sounded bone tired.

“We will win that one as well.” Gibbs replied with confidence. “But, that’s not our problem now. Let’s get you stitched and cleaned up and get some sleep. The battle with the slayers will be upon us sooner than we want it to be.” He led Tony away from the carnage into a medical tent that was erected to the side of the battlefield. He wasn’t surprised to see Ducky himself approaching them when he led Tony over.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**September 27, 2015 – 22:00 Council Headquarters**

Tony opened his eyes as his mate moved beside him. They were slumped down in the SUV with one of the Elite unit agents driving. The vampire was covered in mud and blood, but Tony suspected that they didn’t look any better. Tony looked down at his hands and shivered. They were covered in blood, so much blood it almost looked stunned. He rubbed it against his trousers, but it didn’t want to come off. Tony tried again, but stopped as Gibbs rested his hand on top of his.

“Will it ever get clean?” He couldn’t help to ask. Even as a cop for so many years he’d never seen bloodshed like what he’d seen this day. Tony had no idea if he’d be able to sleep, not with all the images that kept on playing in his head.

Gibbs dragged his hand through his own hair before pulling Tony closer to him. “It will wash off.” He lifted Tony’s shirt and frowned at the bandages that covered his ribs. He could smell his mate’s blood, even though the wound was no longer bleeding. “You could’ve been killed.”

“And you would’ve been killed.” Tony didn’t hesitate to answer. They’d been through this already. His mate was angry with him for doing what he said he would – covering his six and he was still a bit grumpy that Gibbs thought he took an unnecessary risk in tackling the vampire that was creeping up behind Gibbs while he was fighting two others.

Gibbs remained silent. In the short time he’d realized how stubborn Tony could be and he himself never gave in, so it was better to let it go. He hated the fact that Tony got hurt, but at least he was still alive. He looked up as the SUV turned into the Council grounds and frowned. Something was wrong. They’d left a number of agents behind to guard the rest of the vampires who’d remained. He could not see any of the guards and the building itself looked eerily dark. “Reverse the vehicle.” He barked the order and pressed Tony back against the seat as his mate leaned forward. He heard Tony growl at him, but ignored it for the moment. Something was wrong.

Tony picked up on his mate’s mood and reached for the weapon still tucked into the back of his trousers. “Trouble?” He asked as he checked the pistol and held it ready in his hand.

Gibbs nodded his head in agreement. He turned to face his mate. “You’re not going to stay put, even if I ask it.” He reached for his phone. He knew that most of the agents, including Tobias and Timothy stayed behind and he had no idea on how far back they were. He was happy that Ducky and Abby had not remained at headquarters, but had gone with them where they helped with the injured Special Forces and vampires after the battle took place. The President and his following had moved to another safe house late the previous night so the only ones left were members of the coven, mostly women and children.

Tony shook his head. “If you get out, I get out.” Tony placed his hand on the door handle to show just how serious he was.

“How many are we?” Gibbs asked the driver.

“In total, _Tatell_ , twelve.” The driver responded after he placed the vehicle in park. They were now outside the gates, parked on the sidewalk.

“Get in contact with the other vehicles. Inform them, we’ve got trouble. See if you can get through to Agent Fornell and let him know what’s going on. Let the rest of the agents here meet in five minutes.” Gibbs gave more orders and then turned to his mate. “If my gut is right then the Slayers are here.” He couldn’t help but let the hate he felt for those humans be heard in his voice. It was finally confirmed that Ziva David was the one responsible for killing all the Elders and for turning those young teenagers into raging fledglings. He was going to kill her personally.

Tony nodded in agreement. “And they will meet their end just as the vampires we just fought met theirs. He no longer saw any of the Slayers as human. They were monsters and if they crossed his path he would not even try to arrest them, but given the opportunity he would kill them – no questions asked.

Gibbs pulled his mate in for a hard kiss before he released him again. “Don’t get killed.” He growled the words as he opened the door of the SUV and got out. The other agents all gathered around their vehicle. He gave a few clipped orders and then they disappeared into the night. All of them knew the grounds like the back of their hands. Gibbs kept Tony at his back as they entered the grounds. It was time to hunt.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

They found the first of the dead agents just beyond the gate. His head severed from his shoulders. The bail rose up in Tony’s throat and he swallowed hard not to retch. The second and third guard had met a similar fate and Tony thought it couldn’t get worse.

They made their way into the large building and Tony gasped. The smell of blood was overpowering, but the source of it still unknown as the building remained silent and no one came out. Tony stumbled against Gibbs at the smell and was grateful that Gibbs had made sure that Tony fed well before and even after the first battle. If hungry, the blood would’ve driven him crazy. Now he followed his mate as Gibbs made his way up the large staircase to the living areas on the first floor. Tony felt his own trepidation grow as they stepped onto the floor and the first thing they noticed was the blood-smeared floor. He wanted nothing more than to follow that trail, but they had rooms to check. They still had no idea where the Slayers were. With hand signals Tony took the rooms to the right, while Gibbs checked out the rooms to the left.

Tony opened the first door, and scanned the room carefully as he made his way inside. It was empty, but by the look of things, it was clear that a struggle took place. Furniture was overturned, picture frames trampled into the thick carpeting and blood spatter decorated the walls. Tony made his way out of the room again and found Gibbs waiting for him in the hallway. He shook his head and nodded when Gibbs shook his as well. They moved on to the second pair of doors.

The second room looked like the first and also remained empty. Tony moved back out and once again, they moved on. Tony had one room left on his right. It was a large room, almost like a dining hall which the council used as a daycare room for the councils’ children to be cared for during the day if they had no other arrangements in place.

The blood-smears stopped at this door and Tony didn’t need to look at his Mate to know that the vampire would follow him inside. His legs buckled as the stench of blood threatened to overpower him. Gibbs’ hand on is shoulder grounded him enough to move in and then he wished he hadn’t. “Mary!” He gasped out loud as he found his neighbor and friend lying in a pool of blood. He dropped to his knees and took her hand in his. It was cold and he knew there was nothing he could do, but he didn’t want to let her go. She meant so much to him. Tony couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down his cheeks. He never wanted her life to end like this. She was supposed to go peacefully in her sleep after many more years here on earth and now, now, monsters who called themselves humans had killed her. The rage erupted from him and more than one glass object shattered in the room. When he lifted his eyes, they were glowing red. His fangs elongated, his forehead contorted as the last part of his new-self snapped into place.

“I will kill them all.” Tony snarled as he made the vow. Gone was the cop, in his place a creature that wanted only vengeance and would do anything in his power to do just that. Tony looked around as he became aware of the silence around him. It was as if his mate had disappeared into nothingness. He found one of the inner doors opened and made his way over. What he found inside made him stumble to his knees again. The shock was enough to let his fangs retract and his face contort back to the human mask. His mate was on is his knees in the middle of the room surrounded by the small bodies of five children. Each one brutally stabbed to death. Around them the bodies of six women filled the room. They had been raped and decapitated. Tony couldn’t shake the feeling that the children had been forced to watch their mothers being raped, before the mothers had been forced to watch as their children were slaughtered. Only then were they killed. They were innocent and yet they were made to suffer the most.

Tony turned and his eyes landed on a message written in blood on the wall behind the door. i>’Come and get us. We’re waiting for you.’ He couldn’t believe how they were taunting them. He still had a lot to learn on how to fight as a vampire with his body, even though he did well earlier, but he couldn’t wait to tear whoever they found limb from limb. “Where would they be?” Tony found his voice as he kneeled next to his still silent mate. “Jethro?” He asked again. “Where do we get them, where would they be?” He took his mate’s face in his hands and lifted his head. Gibbs’ face was deprived of any emotion, but his eyes – they were filled with tears and as his mate blinked, the first tear fell and rolled down his face. “We’ll find them, and we will kill them.” Tony repeated the vow he made to himself only minutes before as he pulled his mate to his feet.

Gibbs pulled Tony to his chest as he came to his feet. He could feel the rage shimmering from his mate. He knew it wasn’t a good idea for a fledgling like Tony to feel this way, but he understood. He felt the same. Even if they now didn’t try to kill him, he would kill them the moment he laid eyes on them. This was the end. “Let’s go and kill some Slayers.” He kissed Tony on top of the head and then led his mate by the hand back out of the blood soaked room. He closed the door behind him and squeezed Tony’s hand once. “They’ll be at the Ceremonial grounds.”

Tony nodded. It made sense. He also knew they couldn’t stay together. They had to split up. He didn’t want to do it, but it was the best tactic to follow. He put his thoughts into words. “I’ll meet you on the other side. Watch your six, and don’t get killed.” He waited for Gibbs to nod at his words before he moved away and slinked into the shadows. As he went down the stairs and exited from one of the side doors, his eyes caught the moon. It was the blood moon everyone had spoken about for so many months. He’d totally forgotten about it. It sounded morbid, but it set the perfect mood for what was happening tonight. Too much blood was spilled, it was time to end this now.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs looked on as his mate disappeared from his sight before he made his way out of the house and onto the vast grounds. He made his way quickly over the grass terraces. He could still smell the blood of the children; it was as if it clung to his clothes so it took him a few seconds to realize that the blood he smelled was fresh. He growled low in his throat as he followed the scent. He had no idea who was so sadistic to use the blood of a child to lure him into what was most certainly a trap, but he took comfort in the fact that he would be the one who’d spring that same trap, but in his favor.

He rounded a bushy area and cocked an eyebrow when he saw the woman standing in front of him. She stood confident; a bloodied knife in her hand, while a body slumped before her. She grinned from ear to ear as she tossed the head, she held in her hand. It was the driver who’d brought them back earlier. Gibbs knew who he was facing and sneered. “It seems like the profile out there about you is correct, Ziva David.” Gibbs sneered. “You are as crazy as hell.” His words had the desired effect as she snarled and attacked him immediately.

She fought dirty, with no particular style, but she still knew how to fight. Gibbs soon found himself on the back foot as she kept on advancing. She had two short blades in her hands and she wielded them with ease. She had some kick boxing moves that she tried to use against him, but he kept clear of her feet and the blades.

Gibbs himself held no weapons. He had his hands, speed and strength and with that he planned on taking her down. Ziva kicked up and Gibbs pushed forward, getting her as she was high in the air and brought her down crashing to the ground. He heard her breath leaving her body as he followed her to the ground. She was quicker than he thought, and even though she was still struggling to take a breath she was no longer on the ground, instead she stood facing him again. She didn’t give him a chance to move, she did it first. The blade in her left hand sailed clear over his head, but the one in her right found his arm and sliced him deep. He hissed in pain and could feel the blood flowing freely down his arm. He looked up as he heard her laugh. She was clearly amused.

“You’re nothing special are you, King of the dead?” She sneered at him. “You’ve managed to kill my brother, for that alone, I will kill you with a smile. You’re just one more blood sucking monster that deserves to get his head separated from his body.” Even as she talked, she moved again, her blades moving in unison and Gibbs had to retreat quickly.

Ziva kept on moving forward, using her blades to keep him away from getting closer to her. She launched herself upwards again and Gibbs saw her raising her arm to deliver a swipe from left to right. He tucked himself in and rolled, the blade thumped hard into the ground behind him. He spun around and even before she could pull the blade from the hard ground he was on top of her.

His hand curled around her neck and he started to squeeze. He had placed all of his weight on top of her body, pinning her to the ground. He didn’t care that she was a woman. To him she was a murderer. One that had not only killed four Elders, but also taken the life of innocent children and for that, alone, she deserved to die a slow death. Her color turned deeper as she could breathe no longer. She continued to fight against him, but he was stronger than she was and held her down with his body weight. She didn’t deserve her neck to be snapped. She didn’t deserve for him to rip out her throat or even to be killed with a human weapon. No, she deserved to die slowly. Gibbs wanted to see each moment of her last attempt to live as he slowly increased the pressure on her windpipe, looking on as her eyes fluttered closed for a second or two before her natural instinct kicked in again and she tried to fight him off again.

It was Gibbs’ turn to grin and he did just that. He talked as if it was a natural thing to do while you crushed someone’s windpipe with your mere hands. “Your brother?” Gibbs frowned and then he remembered. “The slayer that I killed in my own house.” He cocked his head. “He was nothing.” He knew he would anger her even more by dismissing something she would see as important. Instead, Gibbs focused on Ziva again. “I thought about how to kill you. I even thought of turning you and then locking you up and letting you starve to death from the blood, you need to drink to survive, but not having the access to it, but I will not. You do not deserve to form a part of our world, even if it was for a short while. Instead, I find it _comforting_ to see you struggle to breathe, to see your eyes darkening as the light behind them slowly dims. I do wish it were in my power to kill you and then bring you back to live to kill you again. To end your life repeatedly until I’m satisfied that you died for each life you took. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that, and I will have to be satisfied to see you die only once.”

Ziva tried to speak up, but she had no voice. The silence continued around them as her breaths gasping for air were the only thing that could be heard. He could feel the life leaving her body as she went limp beneath his hands. Then Gibbs did something stupid and released the pressure. At the same time a pain filled scream pierced the silence around them and the human beneath him flipped him over as if he was a mere mortal.

Gibbs was stunned and that was all she needed to get to the large blade stuck in her boot. She swung it over her shoulder towards his head and it was his fast reflexes that saved his head being split in two. The blade sunk deep into the ground and she had no time to pull it out before Gibbs turned the tables again and pinned her to the ground.

A blade sliced through his clothes and jammed into his back. He had no idea where the knife came from. Gibbs screamed out of pain as the silver penetrated his body. He could feel the hilt flush against his skin, the blade deep. His strength left him immediately, but he still tried to reach for the blade to pull it free. His arms felt heavy, dark spots appeared before his eyes and as everything went dark, he thought he heard something that sounded like shots being fired in the background. “Tony,” Gibbs grunted and then everything went black.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Tony managed to contain the rage within him and used it to focus on finding the slayers that played ‘hide and seek’ with them. He found the first one as he rounded the corner of the building, not even close to the ceremonial grounds. The Slayer had a stupid grin on his face and stood there arrogantly. Tony cocked his head and smiled. His fangs extended and he leaped forward. Even before the Slayer could lift the machete he had in his hand, Tony was on top of him. He snapped his neck and dropped him on the ground. He felt no remorse as he moved on.

The rest of the grounds between the council building behind him and the ceremonial grounds remained empty, and for a moment Tony wondered if they tracked his mate in one or other way and that they were now all gunning for him, but then the red head stepped out in front of him and Tony smirked. From the photos supplied to them of the so-called leaders of the Slayers and he knew before him stood Jenny Shepard. She was an attractive woman, but only for as long as she lived. He didn’t plan on letting that be for too long. He could see her on Jethro’s arm, he had a feeling that any red headed woman would look beautiful next to his silver fox.

“You really must be something special.” Jenny spoke up first as she slowly circled the vampire in front of her.

Tony cocked his head. “How did you know?” He gave her one of his mega smiles. He turned his body as she continued to walk around him.

Jenny shook her head. “So silly of me, you thought it was a compliment.” She gave a throaty laugh. “No, I meant special as in the derogative term for being dumb. Did you for one moment think that you’d be enough for someone like the _leader_ of the vampires? He, they, duped you and you fell for it hook line and sinker. And now, now you’re one of them and where you thought you would be blessed with long life; you’ll be a slave to their ways forever, flung to the side when you’ve been sucked dry so that only your husk remained.”

Tony laughed as they circled one another again. “Do I look like a slave to you? Does it look like I’ve been enthralled in any way to be here? Let me tell you this, Jethro Gibbs is my bondmate. Never before in my life did anything feel as right as what I have now.” He grinned. “You’re right, there’s a lot of sucking involved, blood and even more, but I enjoy each and every moment of it.” He didn’t even let his last words fade away before he moved forward and attacked.

She was better skilled than what he’d thought and she managed to match him hit for hit. Tony hissed when one of the blades she had with her, caught him on the back of his hand and the silver reacted immediately with the wound. It stung badly, but he put it out of his head and concentrated on her. It felt good to fight with his bare hands. The hand-to-hand training he’d received as a cop now much more useful as he was stronger, more flexible and had more speed. Jenny came in fast and he pushed up from the ground as if he was on a springboard and leaped over her head. He pivoted in the air and landed right at her back with his own knife in hand. Tony didn’t give her time to turn, but sliced the tendons at the back of her knees. She screamed out in pain as she fell forward. Jenny tried to get up, but found it nearly impossible. She snarled as she turned her head. “What now? Going to suck me dry, freak?” She spat out the words and tried again to get up.

“I will never feed from someone like you. You’re poison, with my luck, I will suffer in agony for years.” Tony shook his head. “No, I will not let your blood touch my lips.” He looked down at his hands, still stained with blood, but this time it was different. “In this instance, I don’t mind getting my hands dirty with it.” He grabbed her hair and pulled her head back, exposing her throat. “You killed Mary; I can smell her on you. She was an old lady who did nothing wrong, but love those around her. Who tried to protect innocent children and you killed her. You call yourself human, but you’re nothing but a monster.” With one swift action he dragged the blade across her throat and as the blood spilled from the gaping wound he pushed her away and stood watching as she bled out.

Tony wiped the knife on his trousers and pushed it back in its sheath. As he moved, he felt his back up revolver in the side holster and for a second he stumbled. He had not drawn it once. Not during the first battle and not even now. It felt strange. As a cop, he was dependent on his weapon, but tonight he killed using only his hands or a blade. Tony let go of the thought. It was time to find his mate.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Trent Kort looked on as the human turned fledgling disposed of one of his oldest friends without a sweep of emotion visible on his face. He wanted to do nothing more than to kill the newly turned vampire, but also knew he could be of use. Kort waited for Tony to disappear into the night before he followed him. He made sure the distance was sufficient as the light of the moon still made it possible to see quite some distance.

The sounds of fighting in front of him drew him to a stop and he moved deeper into the trees, still going forward. He found Tony fighting with one of the younger slayers and Kort had to stop himself from rolling his eyes as he watched the fight. It was clear that the vampire was playing with the slayer. He could see that even with the advanced training the Slayer had, Tony used his speed and strength to keep the Slayer from taking him down. He closed his eyes as Tony managed to take the short blade from the slayer and gutted him with it. He looked up as the body slumped to the ground. It made him see red. Tony would’ve been a perfect agent for the Slayers, now he was a monster. Trent stepped out and clapped his hand, sauntering towards the vampire who’d turned and stood looking at him.

“Bravo, marvelous performance of your skills.” Trent sneered. “You’re so full of yourself. A fledgling, thinking that he can take on the world and win. Guess what, bloodsucker? You lose. There is no place in society for _your_ kind. We will rid the world of monsters like you.” He drew his own machete from the long waistcoat he had on.

Tony looked at the bald man before him. He spoke with a British accent and was dressed in a tight fitting suit. He couldn’t help but to smile. “Tell me, are you a _Kingsman_ , or just a wannabe with that dress code?”

Trent Kort frowned. “I’m a Slayer.”

Tony laughed. “Collin Firth, Samuel L Jackson?” He shook his head. “You don’t watch movies.” He sighed. “I know who you are, Trent Kort. You’re a murderer. You killed innocent people, little children and for what? All in the name of so called humanity?” Tony didn’t reach for any of his weapons. He had no doubt in his mind that Kort would be a formidable fighter. He knew he would have to be on top of his game if he wanted to win this fight. Tony was grateful for the fact that even though he’d fought and killed three people in a very short period, he was still fresh.

Kort could see that Tony was measuring him and he grinned. Many arrogant vampires and people in his way took him to be slow and easy to beat. He had years of training, killing this fledgling would not be difficult at all. Without hurrying his pace, he went on the attack. He knew how to use the blade. He knew how to use hand to hand combat as he attacked Tony relentlessly. He was impressed, but didn’t let it show when Tony was the first to draw blood. He ignored the bleeding wound on his side and moved forward. He leaped up and with a kick to the chest brought Tony to the ground. He moved forward, and managed to pin the vampire to the ground. He held the machete blade against Tony’s throat. “I love playing chess in my off time, which, unfortunately due to the likes of you, I do not get to do very often, but one of my other favorite pastimes?” Kort grinned. “I love taking the heads of vampires.” He grabbed Tony by the hair and tried to pull him up. He was unprepared as Tony stumbled, going down on his knees before getting up again and he placed a bracing arm across the vampire’s chest to stop the both of them from tumbling over again. “Don’t go weak kneed on my now,” he mumbled as he held on to Tony.”

Tony swayed slightly and kept Kort off balance as he managed to reach the small flick knife tucked into his boot. Tony managed to flick it open with almost no sound and kept it at a ready. The moment the man took a step backwards, Tony reached up and managed to slash Kort with the knife over the left eye. The man tumbled backwards, but with a roar, he attacked Tony again. Tony had to step back as the man tried to tackle him to the ground. Blood streamed down his face, but it didn’t hinder him from going after Tony with all his might.

Kort’s eye throbbed in pain. Already he couldn’t see as the blood streamed from the injury. He didn’t have time to contemplate what the extent of the injury might be. Instead, he used his larger frame and kept on punching, kicking and slicing at the vampire who seemed to stay out of his reach. He reached for the 9 mm that he always kept at hand and fired; the first shot that went wild. He never got to fire a second shot as the vampire barreled into him and knocked the weapon clear from his hands. They struggled on the ground, both vampire and human wanted to end things right there and then. Kort used his years of experience to get the upper hand, but Tony managed to press his fingers into the injured eye and Kort roared in pain. It gave Tony the time he needed to scramble away.

“Jethro,” Tony gasped suddenly as a blinding pain traveled through his back while at the same time he heard his mate’s scream. He couldn’t help but to fall to his knees and retched hard. Something was wrong with his mate and he had to get to him now. Tony managed to get back on his feet, and as he turned a weight barreled into him. Both vampire and man landed hard on the ground. Tony grunted at the weight of the man on top of him. He tried to buck him off, but with no success.

Kort realized that he had to end the fight now, if he didn’t, he would be the one killed. He pulled on Tony’s hair, bending his head backwards while, with his knee, he applied pressure the Tony’s back, right on the spine as he tried to induce what was known as the hangman’s fracture where the head is over extended so that the C2 vertebra snapped. He intended to get the spinal cord damage as well as nerve damage to occur so that Tony’s blood pressure would drop suddenly and cause him to die almost immediately.

The pressure in his head and neck was becoming unbearable, but Tony could not shift his weight to get the man off his back. He twisted and felt something hard under his arm. With difficulty, Tony reached for the revolver, his hand slipped as the man behind him tightened the hold on his head. Tony couldn’t give up and he tried again. He knew the holster like the back of his own hand and he easily managed to pop the clasp open and pulled the revolver out. He couldn’t believe that Kort was not picking up on what he was doing. Not caring that he might hit himself, Tony pointed the firearm down and back, pulled back the hammer and squeezed the trigger. The pressure around his head and necked dropped immediately as Kort stumbled one-step backwards and landed hard on the ground. Tony looked back as Kort howled in pain. He’d managed to shatter the man’s knee and hoped that he would bleed out before helped arrived. There was no way Kort would be able to come after him now. He left him lying there and ran towards the area from where he heard Jethro scream. He had to get there; he had to find his mate.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Tony ran hard. He wanted to call out to Jethro, to hear where his mate was, but he didn’t want to bring more slayers down on them. He had to find his mate as quickly and as quietly as possible. As he neared the stage to the ceremonial grounds, movement to his left caught his eye and he turned. His mate was on the ground and a slayer was standing over him. Her long dark hair looked wild and she reeked of blood, but not only her own blood, but his mate’s blood as well. The rage boiled up again and with a growl, Tony’s features contorted and he charged Ziva David down.

Ziva realized almost too late that someone or something was on top of her, but she still managed to move sluggishly to the side. The vampire slammed into her and both of them landed well clear of the vampire she’d managed to kill. Her breath left her body, but she still found herself smiling. She’d killed the so called King of the monsters and by the look of the vampire on top of her, Tony DiNozzo had managed to get there just in time to see his mate die. “You lose,” Ziva couldn’t help but to taunt even as it sounded like she’d eaten shards of glass. She shoved the vampire off her and flipped herself back onto her feet. “I killed him, and I’m going to kill you.” She heaved hard and struggled to get air into her lungs as her throat felt like it got caught in a vice and the pressure was not letting up.

Tony had difficulty concentrating on anything else, except his mate sprawled out on the hardened ground with a knife sticking out of his back. He could see and smell his mate’s blood, but his ears refused to hear the heartbeat he was so desperately straining to hear. Ziva’s words penetrated his senses and he feared them to be the truth. Tony died in that moment, he had nothing to lose; his whole life was at an end. He dropped the revolver still clutched in his hand and as she moved towards him he made a vow. He would kill her, he would bury his mate and then he would end it all. In that order and nothing more.

Ziva watched as the vampire in front of her dropped his weapon and stood motionless before her. He was beaten and he knew it. She grinned and moved forward. Her machete in hand that she’d managed to pull out of the ground. She was going to take his head and maybe even make a trophy out of it.

Tony stood waiting for her. He could see the arrogance in her stance and knew she thought he’d given up. She was right in that assumption, but she didn’t know what he first had to do. He continued to wait, and as she raised her hand to swing the blade he stepped into her personal space with his new speed and with all of his strength thrust his hand into her chest. He could feel the wound open around his hand as skin, flesh, muscle and bone gave way and he curled his hand around the organ and ripped it out. He held it out for her to see. The shock on her face would keep him going until he could take his own life. Her heart was warm in his hand as her body fell to the ground and he let it go. He didn’t look back as he managed to make his way over to where his mate was. Tony went on his knees, gathered Jethro to his chest and wept.

In the night sky the moon bled red and the earth shuddered in silence.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

**European Council House: 6 months later**

The silence was deafening as Tony made his way over to where his mate sat on something that looked nearly a thousand years old, but was even older than that. It was the original thrown to the first _Tatell_. Timothy walked two steps behind him, while Tobias stood at Gibbs’ side. Tony gave a small smile and then kneeled before his mate. Bowing his head he shivered as Gibbs placed his hand on his head. He had to take a deep breath to get his emotions under control. It had been an intense filled six months. Gibbs had nearly died because of that bitch. Tony had thought his mate was dead. He had been ready to end his own life, but then Tobias and a bunch of the Elite Agents burst through the bushes. It had taken Tobias a long time to get Tony to let go of his mate. He hadn’t wanted to believe the older vampire when he’d told him that Jethro was alive. He’d held his mate in his arms, he couldn’t hear his heart, he couldn’t feel his breath on his skin.

Finally Ducky had shown up and started to talk to him, and slowly his senses had returned. He could hear Jethro’s heartbeat and could see his chest rise up and down as his mate breathed. After that, things had moved at neck breaking speed. They’d been both rushed to the hospital and his mate had been in a coma for more than two weeks before the damage done by the silver blade started to clear up. He’d spent a period of five weeks in the hospital before being released. In that time, Tony had pulled himself together and ruled the Brood. The European Council had tried to push him aside, despite the fact that it was clear that they had lost. Then they’d gotten to know how ruthless Tony could be when he’d ordered that the remaining vampires who had entered the USA with the intent to kill innocent people to upturn the US Council and on various other charges, be executed. He’d ordered execution warrants for the two Council Elders from Estonia as they were behind the whole plot. He’d done everything by the book, as it was tried Vampire law and in his right to do.

With a clear voice Tony spoke up. “As mate to the _Tatell_ , it is my honor to present to you your people, both the young and the old, from the newest fledgling to the oldest Elder. We, as the brood accept your guidance, your laws and your love and promise to follow you, to lay our lives down for you and to protect you as you will protect us. Hear us, _Tatell_ , as we make this oath, accept this oath freely as it is given to you freely. Lead us and we will follow.”

As one, all of the vampires came to their feet and with one voice spoke the last words. “On our lives, we promise. Our lives for the life of the _Tatell_. Our lives for the life of the _Tatell-mate_.” 

Tony rose to his feet as they both turned to face the crowd behind them and as Tobias and Timothy kneeled on one knee the brood followed and the new _Tatell_ and the _Tatell-mate_ were acknowledged as the rightful leaders of the vampires.


	16. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_‘I can still remember the day our Tatell was placed in my arms on the third day of his life. He was awake and it was as if he was staring right through me into my soul. He made no noise, his little hand clenching and unclenching until I gave him my finger and he squeezed hard. It was amazing on just how much strength such a small baby had. I made my vow – I promised to keep him safe, to guide him and to guard him until my dying breath.’_

**Six years later**

Tony smiled as the two young girls slowly walked towards him and their baby brother in his arms. Both of them were looking in awe at them as they stopped next to the bed. Tony moved the blanket to the side so that they could get their first look at the small boy.

“ _Mate-Tatell_ , are you sure he belongs to us?” Alexia, the youngest twin spoke up. They were four years old and the center of both their parents’ world. Alexia was the outspoken one of the two, opposed to Sibylla, the eldest, who was more like her _Tatell_ , thinking things through and only talking when she was of the opinion that she had something important to say. “I mean he’s so small, what are we going to do with him? He won’t be able to play.” She pouted at the thought.

Tony locked eyes with Jethro who stood behind his girls. “I can promise you, girls, he belongs to us. You were also so small and look how big you got. Give him a few months’ time and he will start playing with you.”

“He is your new _Tatell_.” Sibylla said softly. She smiled as she reached out and touched her baby brother carefully. “We are his guardians.” She said proudly and then cocked her head. “He smells differently.”

Gibbs kneeled next to his two daughters and gave them both a hug. “You and Alexia smell differently as well.”

Sibylla shook her head. “Yes, _Tatell_ , but also not like that.” She sighed. “Alexia and I smell like one another, although we smell different as well, but he smells like the two of you while we don’t. That’s what I’m talking about.”

Tony and Gibbs couldn’t help but to take a deep sniff, Sibylla was right. The little boy in Tony’s arms smelled like a combination of them, something that the twins never did, not even mere minutes after their births. “We’ll have to ask Grandpa Ducky about that.” Gibbs replied perplexed. He got up from his knees as someone knocked at the door. “That must be aunt Abby and uncle Timothy.”

The twins giggled in delight and after a quick kiss for both their parents as well as for their tiny brother they skipped towards the door. They didn’t even give Abby or Timothy a chance to enter, but just barreled them down. Tony and Gibbs could only watch as Alexia explained with excitement how they met their new baby brother and how they needed to go to Grandpa Ducky as the baby smelled weird. She did reign herself in when her older sister shook her head and with her quiet voice explained what they’d smelled. By that time, Alexia had managed to get them all out of the door again, not bothered by the fact that her aunt and uncle didn’t even get the chance to speak to their parents or the opportunity to take a peek at the small boy themselves.

Tony managed to wave to his two friends before the door closed behind them and he remained behind with the baby and his mate. He grinned as Gibbs walked back to bed and made himself comfortable next to his mate. “He’s very quiet, not like his big sisters when they were born.”

Gibbs had to agree, the twins were something very different. It was as if they were born and then they took off and never slowed down again. He still believed that the first day they were newborn babies, but on day two they crawled and on day three they walked and talked. To see this one sleeping in his father’s arms as if he had all the time in the world to grow up was a good change of pace.

Gibbs placed his arm around Tony’s shoulders and pulled him closer to his side. “Still can’t believe he’s finally here.”

Tony snorted. “I want to say I still can’t believe you talked me into having another child, but that would be not fair. He’s perfect, just as his older sisters. They are going to spoil him rotten.”

“They will also protect him with their lives.” Gibbs kissed his mate and took the sleeping boy from Tony’s arms and placed him on his chest. “We certain about the name?”

“Yes, he will be loved, so it’s perfect.” Tony leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes.

“What are you thinking about?” Gibbs asked as he picked up the small boy and placed him in his crib. He couldn’t help but smile as the boy almost huffed in annoyance for being moved, but then settled in and slept on.

Tony kept his eyes closed, but he had a smile on his face. “I’m thinking about the first time we found out I was pregnant.” He laughed when he heard his mate swore under his breath. “At least now you know I forgave you.”

Gibbs huffed, but couldn’t help to think back himself on what had happened.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

_Gibbs woke up with a scowl on his face. Once again, he was awoken to Tony retching. He swung his legs off the bed and followed the sounds coming from their bathroom. It came as no surprise to find Tony over the porcelain thrown, puking his guts out._

_“Tony?” He asked in concern as he wet a cloth and lifted Tony’s head to wipe his husband’s face. Tony’s complexion was pale gray, his green eyes sunk deep within their bunks and it looked like he had no sleep for at least a solid week. “I think we can safely say you’re not fine.” Gibbs didn’t mean to sound sarcastic, but seeing his mate so sick made him worry. “You need to see a doctor.” This time, he wasn’t going to take no for an answer._

_Tony couldn’t even find the energy to answer, but slumped back to the floor and groaned as his mate picked him up and placed him back in their bed. He closed his eyes and curled into himself as another wave of nausea threatened to overcome him._

_Gibbs reached for his phone and didn’t hesitate to call. He kept the conversation short and stayed with his sick mate until Ducky arrived. It did not do his temper good when Ducky informed them that he had no idea of what was wrong. He did prescribe something for the nausea and indicated that if it persisted that Tony should go to the hospital. Tony bucked at the idea, but Gibbs had no problem with that and he wouldn’t hesitate to go as far as to carry his mate to the hospital if need be._

_Tony did not get better, in fact, it became worse and the coven soon realized that the second B in Gibbs’ name remained the same, even if he was much calmer and smiled more. The doctors at the hospital were also stumped, until a nurse spoke up. She indicated that she knew it was impossible, but to her it looked as if Tony was experiencing severe morning sickness. Gibbs had gone silent and looked on as Ducky disappeared from the room. Without much ado, Gibbs cleared the private room and looked at his mate._

_Tony was even paler than earlier and when he looked up and found Gibbs’ eyes on him he shook his head. “They said it was possible, but I didn’t believe it.” He was trembling hard._

_Gibbs frowned. “I’m not following you.” He got into Tony’s bed and pulled his mate close to his side._

_Tony shivered again. When he spoke up, he was talking in a mere whisper. “When Olaf and Gunter took me the first time they made some comments that I didn’t understand. They hinted that I’d be able to bear children, but they also said that after they’d taken me and claimed me against my will I would not be able to…” Tony swallowed. He couldn’t repeat the words. He looked up at his mate. “They knew I would be able to get pregnant.” He managed to turn in time as his stomach rebelled at the thought and he retched hard._

_Gibbs had no words to respond and then the door to Tony’s room opened and Ducky stood with a small packet in his hand. At first Gibbs wanted to ask the Elder if he was crazy, but something in Ducky’s eyes told him to take the packet and to leave the comments for later._

_Two pregnancy tests later and it was confirmed – Tony was indeed pregnant._

_The council started doing research and in the end it was what was left of the European faction that came back with an answer. Male human mates who were compatible to be turned had a chance of falling pregnant. If the mate was compatible to the linage of the kings – to the Tatell, then the chances of getting pregnant increased by more than sixty-five percent. It was then also that they found out why Tony was unconscious for three days after his conversion to vampire. He had finally admitted to Gibbs that he felt extreme pain in those three days, even if he was not awake. His body changed and although he still had no vagina, he had all the internal organs to reproduce and delivery would be done via a normal C-section._

_Gibbs and Tony couldn’t help but wonder then how many Tatell-mates died, because C-sections were not available so many years ago. They decided not to ask. It had taken a few months for Tony to get used to the idea of being pregnant. It helped that everyone gave him the space he so badly needed, but the day he went for the first sonar and saw the two little gray blobs on the screen he’d fallen in love._

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

Gibbs turned and smiled as his mate walked across the large stage to take his seat next to him. In his arms slept their small baby boy. Their twin daughters followed with McGee and Abby. The twins wore pretty dresses, but nothing over the top, his girls preferred practical, even if they loved being dressed like the little princesses they were.

The brood of vampires settled down as he rose to his feet. The number that attended was vast. It had come as a huge surprise when they announced the birth of their son and that the naming of the new _Tatell_ would take place in three days’ time and everyone that could attend did just that.

“As it has been the custom for thousands of years, it’s my duty as _Tatell_ , to uphold my oath to the brood. To keep all safe, to strive for peace and to govern with a fair hand.” He grinned from ear to ear and held out his hand for the twins to step up to him. “When the birth of the twins was declared, you roared with approval, as they were the new generation. It would be their responsibility to take us forward and to strengthen the bonds we’ve established with our human counterparts. But, they also had a secondary purpose, one, that was installed into them from the day they first understood. They had a duty to fulfill, a duty towards a younger male sibling that would be born after them. A burden placed on their shoulders that cannot be shrugged off. It would be expected of them to lay down their own lives for that boy because he would become your future _Tatell_.” Gibbs placed a hand on each of his daughters’ shoulders. “Three days ago, their upcoming duty became a reality when our son was born. Just as our ancestors and their ancestors have done, it is now their responsibility to watch over the future _Tatell_.”

Gibbs hunkered down and picked the twins up in his arms. He couldn’t help but to smile when they smiled at him. He kept them in his arms as he continued to talk. “But, we’re also no longer in the dark ages where we are willing to sacrifice the life of a child to keep another safe. For this purpose, temporary-guardians have been appointed. It will be those guardians’ duty to protect the future _Tatell_ , but also to help with the training of his real guardians. It will also be the responsibility of each and every member of my clan, the coven and the brood to guide these young guardians in their duty. To give them the support they need, but at the same time give them the opportunity to become their own entity and to fulfil their own dreams.” Gibbs turned and Timothy and Abby stepped forward. Each one reached for a twin as the girls reached out towards them. “In consultation with the Council it was decided that Timothy McGee and Abigail Sciuto would be the interim-guardians.” He and Tony spoke long about removing Timothy as Tony’s guardian, but there was no one else that they trusted more. With Timothy and Tobias’ help, they’ve found a guardian for Tony, who, even though he was still new to their household, already felt part of the family. The fact that the twins adored him was an extra bonus.

Tim and Abby placed the small girls on their feet and placed their hands over their chests. Both of them spoke up in unison. “We, the temporary-guardians to the future _Tatell_ do hereby take an oath and declare to protect the life of our future king, while at the same time, make sure that the true guardians are skilled in taking over their responsibility.” They both remained in position as Tony walked towards them, the little boy in his arms unaware of the importance of his birth. Tony handed their son over to his mate and watched with a smile as his mate lifted the small boy carefully for everyone to see.

A hushed silence spread over the masses as Gibbs spoke up again. “Welcome to the world, son of mine. Welcome to your coven, clan and brood. Welcome to your legacy, as it is yours in the future to come. You are the future _Tatell_ and you are named Aimé. Loved, for that is what you are.” Gibbs placed a kiss on the baby boy’s head and gently handed him back to Tony. He leaned in and kissed his mate passionately. The vampires came to their feet and roared in delight. It was time to celebrate as their future was secure.

**o0o – EXBB2016 – o0o**

As the cheers echoed through the large chamber a man stepped out from the shadows and looked over the scene before him. Distaste was clearly noticeable on his face. He took a long look and then turned around slowly, leaning heavily on an ornate walking stick. His left eye covered by a simple black patch. He had suffered a great defeat, but he made a vow to himself and also on behalf of all the humans in the world. He would not stop hunting until the last of the bloodsuckers was dead. _They_ may have named their future _Tatell_ , but he had all his plans laid out, his new group of Slayers would make history – they would rid the world of vampires. In the end, vampires would only be known in horror stories and he would be hailed a hero. Trent Kort smirked as he made his way of the grounds. The fight was not over, the battle had just begun.

[ ](http://s792.photobucket.com/user/Dont_hate_me01/media/IMG_0610_zpsyvt4fglg.gif.html)

**THE END**

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [EBB Art for 'Bloodmoon: The Next Tatell' by dont_hate_me01](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7626484) by [Myztic Art (MyzticMyanMoon)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyzticMyanMoon/pseuds/Myztic%20Art)




End file.
